Copper is emerging as a crucial commodity for the energy transition, AI infrastructure, and clean-tech growth. Wood Mackenzie projects a 24% increase in copper demand by 2035, driven by electric vehicles, renewable power grids, AI data centers, and defense spending. Meeting this demand would require significant mining investment and new capacity.

As Western producers hesitate, China, Russia, and Middle Eastern investors are funding mines globally, shifting future copper supply control towards the East. Rising copper prices signal economic expansion historically, but now they may indicate a structural supercycle driven by technology and electrification. Copper prices are up 19% in 2025, with potential to reach $6 per pound.

Copper is the backbone of the AI age, essential for EV batteries, data centers, and defense systems. Traders and investors should pay attention to copper demand as AI and electrification industries grow. Key names to watch in the copper market include Freeport-McMoRan, Southern Copper, Teck Resources, Rio Tinto, and the Global X Copper Miners ETF.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Forget Rare Earths; This 1 Critical Commodity is Powering a Structural AI Revolution