Copper prices slump 4% to hit all time low of Rs 861.70/kg in futures trade

Copper prices on Thursday dropped Rs 36 to hit an all-time low of Rs 861.70 per kilogram in futures trade after the Trump administration announced that it plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper imports. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, copper contracts for August delivery declined by Rs 35.9 or 4 per cent to hit an record low of Rs 861.70 per kilogram. Meanwhile, copper futures in the US saw a sharp decline of nearly 22 per cent — marking its largest single-day loss on record — to trade at USD 4.38 a pound.

On the London Metals Exchange, copper futures for October delivery fell 1.02 per cent to trade at USD 9,698.50 a ton. In a statement on Wednesday, the White House said that it will impose a 50 per cent tariff to semi-finished copper products and copper-heavy goods, but not to copper ores, concentrates, or cathodes starting from August 1. According to Axis Securities, Copper registered a steep decline of more than 20 per cent marking its largest single-day loss on record.

The sell-off followed President Donald Trump’s announcement to exclude refined copper from the upcoming tariff package set to take effect on Friday, triggering a sharp reversal in sentiment, the brokerage firm said. Further market experts said the deadline for new tariff rates is looming large, and creating a degree of uncertainty among the investors.