Soaring demand for copper will help drive mergers, BHP CEO says
Demand for copper, a key element in the energy transition, is set to rise by 70% to 100% by 2050, Mike Henry said
Copper prices rose on Tuesday as the dollar weakened and risk sentiment improved on positive developments from a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.4% to $9,711.50 a tonne, while the most-traded December copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged up 0.2% to 71,070 yuan ($11,154.01) a tonne.
Click here for an interactive chart of copper prices
The dollar eased broadly against riskier currencies and the yuan scaled a five-month high, as talks between the two presidents seemed to have an amicable start.
Biden and Xi stressed their responsibility to the rest of the world to avoid conflict. Xi called Biden an “old friend” and said the two sides must increase communication and cooperation.
Read more: This chart shows copper price could dive 28% going into 2022
A weaker dollar makes greenback-priced metals cheaper to holders of other currencies.
“We are seeing risk appetite come back into metals markets, driven by positive sentiment from the virtual presidential summit and its impact on the two currencies,” said commodities broker Anna Stablum of Marex Spectron.
“Concerns about the Chinese property markets are taking a step back for now,” Stablum said, referring to a liquidity crisis in the massive sector that consumes a vast amount of metals including copper.
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