Global copper futures prices are in a frenzy, with record highs being logged on the New York-based Commodity Exchange (Comex), London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) in recent days

Copper prices have pushed up on global metal exchanges in recent weeks and the London Metal Exchange three-month copper price hit an all-time high on Monday May 20, but what are the key reasons behind the record-breaking surge in prices?

Fundamental supply tightness was part of the reason behind this week's LME three-month copper contract all-time high, but the rate of change was also down to an influx of financial investors and the interconnected squeeze on short positions on COMEX, sources told Fastmarkets

A surge in recycling capacity in the US aluminium industry is coming in the next few years while for now it continues to meet most of its primary aluminium needs from Canada.

US President Joe Biden will increase tariffs on Chinese imports including steel and aluminium, electric vehicles, semiconductors and advanced batteries, to counteract China’s “unfair” trading practices, he announced on Tuesday May 14

Anglo American's rejection of takeover bids by BHP has put copper firmly under the spotlight, but what challenges lie ahead for the red metal as the corporate tussle continues?

Copper fabricators in China and the wider Southeast Asian region continue to feel the pain of high copper prices on futures exchanges and a lack of new orderbooks, with some having already asked for a postponing of shipments of long-term copper cathodes, sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Wednesday May 15

Recent weeks have seen a significant number of miners agreeing sales of copper concentrate to traders for one to four years of supply, Fastmarkets has learned

The copper market is facing a historical moment with Chinese smelters now paying premiums for raw material copper concentrate while selling their finished product at a discount, but participants point to easing concentrate demand in the second quarter as supportive for the market

The new tariffs on aluminium imports imposed by Mexico are affecting the light metal's supply chain, trade flows and premiums, sources told Fastmarkets during the week to Friday May 3.