Copper Near Six Dollars as AI Data Center Expansion Hits Supply Wall

The Data Center Bottleneck

Industrial analysts warn that copper is becoming the ultimate 'choke point' for the AI revolution. With global inventories at multi-decade lows, the scramble for refined copper has led to a backwardation in the futures market, signaling acute immediate scarcity.

Supply Chain Fragility

Production disruptions at major mines in Chile and Peru have further tightened the market. Without a significant secondary scrap recovery increase, copper is projected to test $6.50/lb within the first half of 2026.