LIVE FUTURES REPORT 25/09: Comex copper price weakness persists into new week

Comex copper prices slid in US morning trading on Monday September 25 with technical selling remaining a strong headwind against the complex.

Copper for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.10 cents or 0.4% to $2.9335 per lb. The contract is trading around a five-week low.

The red metal is struggling to hold ground after erasing last month’s rally to a three-year high, while existing stocks and physical premiums indicate weak demand.

“We remain bullish for copper’s fundamentals, but prices had started to look overstretched recently so some profit-taking seemed probable, which is now unfolding,” Metal Bulletin senior analyst William Adams said. “The stock rise seen in recent weeks also suggests plentiful availability, so there should be little need for buyers to chase prices higher.”

Meanwhile in the precious metals space, Comex gold for December delivery fell $2.40 or 0.2% to $1,295.10 per oz.

Currency moves and data releases
• The dollar index was up 0.40% to 92.53.
• In other commodities, the Texas light sweet crude oil sport price was up 1.05% to $51.19 per barrel.
• The economic agenda is light today with German Ifo business climate coming in at 115.2, a miss from the 116 expectation. China’s CB leading index stood at 1.1%, above the previous reading of 1.0%.
• In addition, US Federal Open Market Committee members William Dudley, Charles Evans and Neel Kashkari as well as European Central Bank president Mario Draghi are speaking.

What to read next
Fastmarkets wishes to clarify that it accepts data submissions in outright price and as a differential to the Mineral Benchmark Price (HPM)-plus-premium for its Indonesian domestic trade nickel ore price assessments. Fastmarkets is also seeking market feedback on recent changes to the Indonesian government’s HPM specifications.
Own-sourced copper output from Glencore’s African copper assets — KCC and Mutanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo — surged by 68% year on year to 67,900 tonnes over the same period, while Glencore’s cobalt production fell by 39% year on year amid the DRC’s export quota system.
Copper’s long-term outlook is constrained by the industry’s limited ability to bring new supply online fast enough to meet rising demand, with permitting delays, higher capital costs and policy risks slowing project development, industry executives said at the FT Commodities Global Summit on Wednesday April 22.
Capital is flowing back into junior mining, but selectively. Investment is increasingly favouring development‑stage assets with clearer paths to production, supported by government funding and strategic partnerships. While demand for critical minerals underpins the cycle, early‑stage explorers continue to struggle for capital as investors prioritise discipline, ESG alignment and near‑term cash flow.
Copper in concentrate production from Ivanhoe Mines' Kamoa-Kakula complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fell to 61,906 tonnes in the first quarter, down by 54% from 133,120 tonnes a year earlier, with the company now evaluating local third-party concentrate purchases to advance the ramp-up of its on-site smelter, according to an April 13 production release as the market focused its attention on the impact of global sulfuric acid shortages during CESCO Week in Chile from April 13-17.
China's planned sulfuric acid export ban from May 1, historic lows for copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) and a fragmenting 2026 benchmark system dominated CESCO Week 2026 in Santiago from April 13-17.