Skip to main content

Posts

Liberation Day and a possible trade war

Copper's volatile two-week-period Looking back at the past two weeks in the copper market, one thing is on everyone’s lips: Liberation Day . That’s the name traders have given to the day Donald Trump introduced his tariffs on numerous countries. And it is safe to say the market has been volatile the last two weeks caused by these tariffs. Because the announcement of tariffs is not the only thing that has happened.  Copper prices the last 2 weeks on CME     Copper prices took a steep dive once the tariffs were confirmed. Then came a flurry of mixed signals. First, there were rumors that the tariffs might be paused, speculation that was quickly denied by the White House on X (formerly Twitter). Just days later, however, came an official announcement: a 90-day pause on some of the tariffs . This did, not surprisingly, cause a volatile week for copper prices, and stock markets all over the world. The copper prices have not fully recovered to where it was two weeks ago, but ha...
Recent posts

What’s Going On in the Copper Market?

Our previous blog post was dedicated to lithium. This week, it's copper's turn, and we're taking a closer look at what's stirring in the copper world these days. Political developments in the United States are creating new waves of uncertainty in global markets. And copper doesn’t escape the turbulence. The market has been unsettled since February, when announcements of a potential tariff on copper imports first surfaced. As a result, analysts are now warning of a possible collapse in copper prices in the near future. "Copper should be made in America." Copper and U.S. trade policy in focus. The current unrest in the copper market began with a trade investigation initiated by the White House. In February this year, U.S. authorities launched a formal inquiry to assess whether the import of copper poses a threat to national security. This type of investigation, known as a “Section 232 investigation,” grants the president the authority to impose tariffs if deem...

Lithium Oversupply and Lithium as a Strategic Resource

Last week, we got a glimpse of how critical minerals became a central topic in the geopolitical arena. Now, we take a closer look at how lithium may be at the center of political interests. What is really happening in the lithium market, and how can geopolitics impact the future of the battery industry? Let’s take a closer look at the situation. From Growth to a Sudden Lithium Surplus As we know, lithium is a critical raw material for the technological transition to electric vehicles and energy storage. Demand for lithium has grown exponentially since 2016, driven by the global push for electrification. Automakers and energy companies have lined up to secure supplies of lithium. Between 2022 and 2024, global lithium production increased dramatically, from approximately 737,000 tons in 2022 to 1.2 million tons in 2024, measured in lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). A significant part of this growth was driven by large-scale lithium extraction and the rising demand for electric vehicle...

Critical Minerals and Global Power

This week one topic has dominated discussions on global affairs: the mineral agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine. Friday's meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump escalated into a heated exchange, with journalists around the world witnessing a rare political spectacle at the White House. The meeting was intended to secure a deal on critical minerals but turned into a heated argument, and the agreement was never signed. The result is a deal that, for now, remains on hold.  But what was this mineral agreement really about? Without delving too deep into the political storm, we will take a closer look at what's in the ground and why these resources matter.  Ukraine has vast mineral resources , with an estimated 5% of the world's critical raw materials within its borders. Among these are deposits of copper, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements. We focus on our favorites: cobber and lithium. The country holds about one-third of Europe's lithium reserves a...

Exploring Copper and Lithium

Dear reader, Welcome to our blog about the two commodities copper and lithium.  This spring, we will use the blog to share information, news, and other exciting things about copper and lithium. Here we will explore how these commodities are used, why they are important, and how they impact the world around us. Our first blog post will give a short introduction to these metals and their uses. We hope you enjoy following our blog! What is copper and lithium? Lithium and copper are both metals, but they have different properties. Copper is the most well-known and widely used of the two. It has many applications and is especially important in electronics , wiring , and motors , but it is also used in building construction , pipes , and other types of infrastructure . In other words, copper has a wide range of uses. The famous landmark, the Statue of Liberty in New York, is made with 27.22 tons of copper. Copper is a metal well-suited for electronics because it conducts electricity and...