A colorful collection of different minerals in pulverized piles
COPPER: A reddish-orange metal valued for its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, malleability, antimicrobial properties, and corrosion resistance. It’s relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, found in large deposits, and extractable from various ores. Copper can be recycled efficiently without losing its essential properties. APPLICATIONS: Vital across industries—construction (wiring, plumbing), electronics (circuit boards, connectors, microchips), renewable energy (turbines, solar panels, EVs), coinage, industrial machinery (heat exchangers, motors, transformers), and in art and jewelry. Global electrification is driving demand faster than supply, with deficits caused by declining ore quality and limited new mining projects. SOURCING: Two-thirds of U.S. copper is produced domestically; the rest comes from Chile (51%), Canada (31%), Mexico (7%), Peru (5%), and the DRC (2%). While the U.S. isn’t supply-dependent, China—the top copper consumer and refiner—heavily influences global prices and availability. EXIM & COPPER: EXIM issued a Letter of Interest for up to $825 million in debt financing for Ivanhoe Electric’s Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona under the Make More in America Initiative (MMIA). This supports rising U.S. demand for domestic copper, aiding infrastructure expansion, national defense, and future technologies.

 

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