17.02.202604:31:40UTC+00Copper Falls in Thin Holiday Trading

Copper fell 1% to around $5.70 per pound on Tuesday, touching its lowest level since early January as trading liquidity thinned during Lunar New Year holidays in China and other Asian markets. The metal also came under pressure after global inventories monitored by the London Metal Exchange climbed to their highest level in more than two decades. Readily available copper stockpiles across the Shanghai, London, and New York exchanges have now exceeded 1 million tons.

In corporate news, BHP Group reported solid earnings, with increased copper production helping to offset weakness in its China-exposed iron ore and steelmaking coal businesses.

Despite the recent pullback, copper prices remain underpinned by ongoing supply disruptions and strong global demand from power grids, data centers, and electric vehicles. This structural demand is intensifying competition among major industrial economies—including China, the United States, Canada, Europe, and India—to secure long-term supply.