Copper futures held above $6 per pound on Friday and were on track for a fourth consecutive weekly gain, supported by renewed buying interest from Chinese consumers as fabricators took advantage of softer prices. Expectations around an upcoming US tariff decision also lent support, prompting some cargoes to be redirected toward the US market. Beyond near-term trade dynamics, copper continues to benefit from structural demand tied to global electrification, artificial intelligence adoption, and steady consumption from power grids and construction activity. On the supply side, output remains constrained by mining disruptions, chronic underinvestment, and long project development timelines. Sentiment was further buoyed by growing optimism over an end to the US-Iran conflict, which eased inflation concerns and reduced expectations for tighter central bank policy, factors that have recently weighed on metals markets.
