This red metal is almost as prized as gold. It's ubiquitous - often visible, sometimes only guessed at. We find it in our homes, in electrical and electronic equipment, musical instruments and many other everyday objects.
As far back as ancient Egypt (circa 3000 BC), copper was used to make tools, cooking utensils, weapons... The Romans also used it, notably to make jewelry and military equipment. Like most pure metals, copper is soft. However, adding a small amount of another metal to it - intentionally or not - can make it more resistant: this is the principle of the alloy. The most famous of these is bronze, composed of at least 65% copper and up to 15% tin.
1 centime Napoléon III Laurée head (1861)
Original dagger on the right and rebuilt dagger on the left (-2000 to -800)
Copper alloy cauldron — 14th century (Middle Ages) — Used to prepare soups for large households; preserved at the National Museum of Ireland (Glendalough).
Strong growth in global demand
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the economic development of new giants such as China and India has been accompanied by a growing need for natural resources, including copper. As a result, global demand for this metal has grown steadily over the past decade.
Today, the use of refined copper has more than tripled in 50 years, driven by the boom in sectors such as:
- electronics and electricity
- construction
- industrial machinery and equipment
- transportation,
- consumer products,
- plumbing,
- cutting-edge technologies requiring copper wires.
A metal of the future for a low-carbon world
An excellent alternative to fossil fuels, copper is an outstanding electrical conductor. Demand for copper is set to intensify further in the coming years, with the massive electrification of our societies - an essential step towards achieving the world's decarbonization objectives. This transition is already underway, and relies heavily on copper.
Production concentrated in two countries
Chile (23%) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (11%) alone account for a third of the world's copper production. On the other hand, the main importers are China, Japan, India, South Korea and Germany.
On one side, you have Chile, a country with a population of 20 million that is the world's leading producer, and on the other, the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a population of 110 million, which is the second largest copper producer.
A green and recyclable material
Copper is one of the few materials that does not deteriorate over time, and retains its full physical and chemical properties even after several recycling cycles.
As a result, copper already in circulation in the global economy can be considered a reserve in its own right. Properly managed, recycling not only extends the life of resources, but also reduces energy consumption, pollutant emissions and waste.
It is an essential lever towards more sustainable modes of production and consumption, perfectly aligned with the challenges of our time.
What are the prospects for investors?
There are several ways to invest in copper today:
- By buying shares in specialist mining companies,
- Via copper ETFs, which replicate the metal's performance (often through a basket of mining stocks),
- Or via CFDs (Contracts for Difference), leveraged products reserved for sophisticated investors.
Copper ETFs are accessible on the stock exchange, and enable investors to profit from price fluctuations without having to manage futures contracts or buy mining shares directly.
Copper futures are mainly traded on the major platforms of the London Metal Exchange (LME), COMEX (CME Group) and the Multi-Commodity Exchange (India). Copper is the world's third most widely used metal.
Its current price fluctuates between 4.60 and 4.70 USD per pound. It had plummeted following announcements of increased US tariffs, but markets have since recovered following Washington's decision to temporize on the subject. Some American banks are even anticipating a 10% rise in the price by the end of 2025, excluding Trump's customs measures.
Below are some copper ETF’s available through our advanced search engine.
This red metal, sometimes referred to as red gold, has stood the test of time. Today, it is the heart of major transformations in our world - notably the ecological transition - and is a pillar of modern industry.
Copper is a metal that is essential not only to industry but also to the ecological transition. The electric car industry, for example, is heavily dependent on it: Tesla, BYD, Cupra and other electric cars contains an average of 100 kg of copper.
The content in this article is provided for educational and marketing purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or financial recommendations.
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