Current Copper Price and Copper Rate with Charts & Calculators
Copper is the quintessential industrial metal and is regarded by financial markets as a leading indicator for the global economy — earning it the nickname "Dr. Copper". From power grids to electric vehicles to renewable energy: modern infrastructure simply cannot function without copper. Here you will find the current copper price in euros and US dollars, updated live during trading hours. The chart, performance table and seasonality analysis reveal trends and patterns in the price trajectory. In the guide below, learn why the energy transition is massively increasing copper demand, which countries are the largest producers and how copper as an asset class differs from the traditional precious metals.
Here you see the current Copper price per troy ounce (31.1 g) in your selected currency, including daily change in percent and absolute.
Below you find the current exchange rate and the price in the second currency. At the bottom are the prices per gram, troy ounce and kilogram.
Tip: When the market is open, the price updates automatically every minute.
Copper price details →
Source: Spot
Look up the Copper price for any date in the past. You will see open, high, low, and close prices as well as the price per gram and kilogram.
Tip: Select a date and a source (LBMA Fix = official daily fixing, Spot = market price). If no trading took place on your selected day, the nearest available rate will be shown.
| 05/29/2026 | EUR | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Open | 0.38 € | 0.44 $ |
| High | 0.38 € | 0.44 $ |
| Low | 0.38 € | 0.44 $ |
| Close | 0.38 € | 0.44 $ |
Source: Spot
The chart shows the price development of the Copper price over the selected period. Move your mouse over the chart to see the exact price on a specific day.
Select the time period above (Today to Max). You can zoom into an area with your mouse. The statistics cards below show high, low, and change for the selected period.
Tip: In the "Today" period, you can see intraday data with per-minute resolution.
(31-05-26)
(30-05-26)
(31-05-26)
(31-05-26)
(13-05-26)
Here you can see the current copper price converted to different weight units: gram, troy ounce (31.1 g) and kilogram.
The second row shows the price in the other currency for comparison.
Tip: A troy ounce is the international trading unit for precious metals and equals 31.1035 grams.
1 Troy Ounce = 31.1035 Grams
The performance table shows how the Copper price has developed over various time periods: from today to 5 years.
You can see the absolute change in both currencies as well as the percentage change. Green values indicate gain, red values indicate loss.
Tip: Compare the EUR and USD performance to identify the impact of the exchange rate.
| Period | EUR | % EUR | USD | % USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | +0.00 € | +0.57 % | +0.00 $ | -0.14 % |
| 7 Days | +0.00 € | +0.89 % | +0.00 $ | +0.18 % |
| 30 Days | +0.03 € | +7.16 % | +0.03 $ | +6.41 % |
| since Jan 1 | +0.04 € | +12.27 % | +0.05 $ | +11.48 % |
| 1 Year | +0.10 € | +38.17 % | +0.12 $ | +37.20 % |
| 5 Years | +0.10 € | +37.66 % | +0.12 $ | +36.69 % |
Here you can find a quick overview of the current prices of the other precious metals. The percentage shows the daily change.
Tip: Click on a metal to go directly to its detail page.
What Is the Copper Price?
The copper price indicates the current market value per kilogram or tonne of the most important industrial base metal. Unlike the precious metals gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, which are traded in troy ounces, copper is quoted in US dollars per tonne (on the LME) or US cents per pound (on the COMEX). Copper is not subject to a daily price fixing; instead, it is traded continuously on electronic futures exchanges — nearly around the clock, five days a week. The so-called spot price is derived from the nearest-month futures contract and changes by the second.
Among economists, copper has earned the nickname "Dr. Copper" because its price trajectory is considered a reliable leading indicator for the global economy. Since copper is indispensable in virtually every sector — from construction and the electrical industry to automotive manufacturing — a rising copper price signals growing global demand and economic expansion, while a falling price often foreshadows a downturn. No other commodity reflects the pulse of the global economy as directly.
Good to know: The nickname "Dr. Copper" stems from the observation that the copper price frequently signals economic turning points months before official economic data. Before the 2008 financial crisis, the copper price was already falling sharply from early 2008, while stock markets were still trading at record highs. Analysts joke that copper has "a doctorate in economics."
Trading Venues and Price Formation
Copper price formation differs fundamentally from that of precious metals: there is no London fixing, no LBMA auction, and no fixed reference time. Instead, the price is formed through continuous trading on global futures exchanges, where supply and demand from mine operators, smelters, industrial buyers, and financial investors converge. The most important trading venues are:
- ◆ LME (London Metal Exchange) — The world's most important reference exchange for copper. Contract size: 25 tonnes. Quoted in USD/tonne. The LME settlement price (1:00 PM London time) serves as the global benchmark for physical delivery contracts.
- ◆ COMEX (New York) — The largest copper futures exchange in North America. Contract size: 25,000 lbs (approx. 11.34 tonnes). Quoted in US cents/lb. Particularly relevant for US market participants and speculative positions.
- ◆ SHFE (Shanghai Futures Exchange) — The most important trading venue in Asia, quoted in RMB/tonne. China consumes over 50% of the world's mined copper, making SHFE prices increasingly influential in setting the global price direction.
- ◆ MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange, India) — The leading commodity exchange of the subcontinent, with contracts in INR. India is the second-largest copper consumer in Asia after China.
For conversion between the different trading units: 1 tonne = 1,000 kg = 2,204.62 lbs. A COMEX price of 450 US cents/lb therefore equates to roughly 9,921 USD/tonne. On this site, we show the current copper price converted into euros per kilogram — the most relevant unit for European buyers and investors.
Copper Price Development at a Glance
The copper price development of recent decades has been shaped primarily by one factor: China's rise as the workshop of the world. Between 2002 and 2008, the copper price quadrupled during the so-called commodity supercycle, driven by China's rapid industrialisation and infrastructure expansion. The 2008 global financial crisis caused the price to plunge from over $8,900/tonne to below $3,000/tonne within just a few months — a decline of nearly 70% that strikingly demonstrated the extreme economic sensitivity of this industrial metal. The subsequent recovery was equally rapid: by early 2011, copper reached a new all-time high above $10,000/tonne before entering a multi-year correction.
The most recent price cycle began in 2020 with a sharp V-shaped recovery following the pandemic-induced crash. While the COVID low in March 2020 stood at approximately $4,600/tonne, massive stimulus programmes and the emerging energy transition narrative drove the price to new record highs above $11,000/tonne by 2024. Electric vehicles, solar installations, wind turbines, and the expansion of power grids require multiples of the copper used in conventional technologies. Analysts speak of the "Green Copper Supercycle" — a structurally rising demand that could outstrip the supply from existing mines in the medium term and anchor the copper price at a fundamentally higher level.
Historical Milestones
The historical price calculator for copper is based on the LME Settlement Price, which is determined each trading day at 1:00 PM London time (2:00 PM CET). Unlike precious metals, whose reference prices are fixed by the LBMA, for copper the London Metal Exchange serves as the authoritative benchmark. The LME price is quoted in USD per tonne — not per troy ounce as with gold or silver. On this site, we additionally convert this reference price into euros, allowing European buyers and investors to look up the historical copper price directly in their home currency.
Particularly instructive dates for historical lookup include: July 2008, when copper reached its then all-time high of $8,940/tonne just before the financial crisis, followed by a crash to $2,825/tonne in December of the same year. The February 2011 high of $10,148/tonne marked the peak of the China-driven supercycle. In March 2020, copper fell to $4,617/tonne due to the pandemic, only to more than double within a year. And in May 2024, copper broke through the $11,000/tonne mark for the first time, driven by the global energy transition and speculative shortages on the COMEX market.
For industrial buyers, the historical copper price comparison is an indispensable tool for procurement cost analysis. Copper accounts for a significant share of material costs in many industries — from cable production to plant engineering. By looking up past prices, procurement strategies can be evaluated, price escalation clauses in supply contracts can be verified, and seasonal patterns can be identified. The comparison between EUR and USD prices is particularly relevant, since copper is traded internationally in dollars while costs for European companies are incurred in euros: a weak euro can increase material costs by several percent even if the dollar price remains stable.
Copper Price by Weight and Units
For copper, entirely different units of measurement apply compared to the precious metals. While gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are traded in troy ounces (31.1035 g), the standard unit for copper is the metric tonne (1,000 kg). The reason lies in the enormous quantities processed by industry: a single offshore wind turbine requires around 8 tonnes of copper, and an electric vehicle approximately 80 kg. At such volumes, quoting prices per ounce would be impractical.
The most important trading and weight units in the copper market are:
- ◆ LME Lot (25 tonnes) — The contract size on the London Metal Exchange. A single futures contract comprises 25 metric tonnes of copper cathodes. At a price of 9,500 USD/tonne, the contract value is 237,500 USD.
- ◆ COMEX Lot (25,000 lbs / approx. 11.34 t) — The North American contract size, quoted in US cents per pound. One pound (lb) equals 453.592 grams.
- ◆ Metric Tonne (1,000 kg) — The global reference unit for production, consumption, and warehouse stocks. Global annual production: approximately 22 million tonnes of refined copper.
- ◆ Kilogram (kg) — In European trade and on this site, the most common unit for end-consumer prices. 1 kg of copper currently costs approximately 8–10 EUR.
- ◆ Pound (lb) — The US trading unit. 1 lb = 453.592 g. Conversion: USD/tonne = US cents/lb × 22.0462.
Forms of Trade and Purity Grades
The copper traded on futures markets is the so-called copper cathode — a flat copper plate typically weighing 100–125 kg, produced through electrolytic refining. At the LME, only cathodes of Grade A quality (minimum 99.99% copper content) are deliverable, registered under standard BS EN 1978:1998 (Cu-CATH-1). This purity requirement ensures that the delivered copper can be directly processed in the electronics and cable industries.
In addition to cathodes, other forms of trade exist for different processing stages: wirebars serve as the raw material for cable manufacturing, copper concentrate (with 25–35% copper content) is delivered from mines to smelters and only there refined into cathodes, and copper scrap now covers approximately 35% of European copper demand and is traded in several quality grades — from high-purity "Millberry" scrap (bare copper wire, >99%) to contaminated mixed copper.
Key Drivers of the Copper Price
Copper is widely regarded as the most reliable economic barometer among commodities -- earning it the nickname "Dr. Copper." Its price is driven by a complex interplay of global economic trends, Chinese industrial policy, and geological supply constraints.
China and the Global Economy
China consumes over 55% of the world's copper production. Any shift in Chinese construction, infrastructure, or industrial policy has an immediate impact on the global copper price. The Caixin Manufacturing PMI and Chinese real estate data are among the most closely watched indicators in the copper market.
Beyond China, copper is highly sensitive to global growth forecasts: when the IMF raises its growth outlook, copper often rallies on the same day. When the outlook is lowered, the price follows suit. This correlation has earned copper the title of the most reliable macroeconomic sentiment indicator.
Energy Transition and Electromobility
The decarbonization of the global economy is the most important structural demand driver for copper in the 21st century. A battery electric vehicle requires approximately 80 kg of copper -- roughly four times as much as a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle.
- ◆ Electric vehicles: 60-80 kg of copper per vehicle -- battery wiring, motors, charging cables, inverters
- ◆ Wind turbines: 3-5 tonnes of copper per MW of installed capacity, significantly more for offshore installations
- ◆ Solar installations: Approximately 5 tonnes of copper per MW -- cabling, inverters, transformers
- ◆ Power grids: Expanding transmission networks for renewable energy requires millions of tonnes of copper cabling
IEA forecast: The International Energy Agency estimates that copper demand from the energy transition alone will increase by an additional 5-7 million tonnes per year by 2040 -- representing a rise of over 25% compared to current consumption levels.
Mine Production and Supply Bottlenecks
Annual mine production stands at approximately 22 million tonnes. The largest copper-producing nations:
Peak Copper? Average ore grades in copper mines have been declining for decades: from over 2% in the 1990s to often below 0.5% today. New deposits are located in hard-to-reach regions or deep underground. From exploration discovery to production typically takes 15-20 years -- new supply can barely keep pace with rising demand.
US Dollar and Interest Rate Policy
Copper is traded internationally in US dollars. A strong dollar makes copper more expensive for buyers in other currency zones and suppresses demand -- the copper price typically falls during periods of dollar strength. Fed interest rate decisions have a dual effect: higher rates strengthen the dollar (depressing prices) while simultaneously slowing construction activity and capital investment (dampening demand).
For European investors, the copper price in euros is derived from the USD price divided by the EUR/USD exchange rate. During periods of euro weakness, the EUR copper price can rise even when the dollar price remains flat.
Exchange Inventories as a Leading Indicator
LME warehouse stocks are considered the most important short-term indicator in the copper market. When registered inventories in LME warehouses decline, it signals a tight physical supply situation and supports the price. Conversely, rising inventories put downward pressure on prices.
Additionally, inventories at the SHFE (Shanghai Futures Exchange) and COMEX warehouses are closely monitored. The combined inventories across all three exchanges have recently been at historically low levels -- a signal that many analysts interpret as a precursor to structural supply shortages.
Copper Performance and Seasonality
Performance Table
The performance table for copper reveals a fundamentally different picture from the precious metals: copper is an industrial base metal whose price is quoted per kilogram or tonne and which exhibits considerably higher daily volatility. Fluctuations of 1–3% on a single trading day are not the exception for copper but part of the normal course of business — on days with surprising macro data, it can be 4% or more. This dynamism makes the short-term columns (Today, 7 Days) significantly more meaningful in the copper context than for gold, where some days see barely any movement. The range of fluctuation reflects copper's close linkage with the global business cycle: as a leading indicator of economic activity, the copper price reacts directly to purchasing managers' indices (PMI), industrial production figures, and housing starts — data series that have at most an indirect effect on gold or platinum.
The comparison between EUR and USD performance plays a secondary role for copper, as the base volatility of the copper price clearly overshadows the exchange rate effect in most time periods. When copper falls 2.5% in a day, the typical EUR/USD difference of 0.1–0.3 percentage points makes barely a noticeable difference. Unlike gold, where the exchange rate effect can shift annual returns by up to 10 percentage points, with copper the fundamental price movement always dominates — driven by the physical balance of supply and demand on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE).
The 5-year performance of copper provides valuable insight into the overarching narrative of the energy transition and infrastructure supercycle. Copper is indispensable for electric vehicles (an EV requires approximately 80 kg of copper, four times as much as a combustion engine vehicle), wind turbines, solar farms, and the expansion of power grids. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects a doubling of copper demand by 2040 — a structural tailwind that should be reflected in the multi-year returns. If the 5-year column shows strong positive performance, the market is likely aligned with this supercycle narrative; if it is significantly below the long-term average of approximately 5–7% p.a., a cyclical headwind may be temporarily overshadowing the structural story.
Seasonality (20 Years)
The monthly seasonality of the copper price is primarily determined by construction and infrastructure cycles and the procurement patterns of the world's largest consumer, China. The first quarter historically shows pronounced strength: after the Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year), a massive demand wave sets in from February/March as construction companies, cable manufacturers, and the manufacturing industry replenish their inventories. This so-called "restocking" coincides with the start of the building season in the Northern Hemisphere, during which wiring, piping, and electrical installations are particularly copper-intensive. The combination of both effects means that January to April are statistically among the strongest months in the copper annual cycle.
The summer months of June to August typically mark a weak phase. In the temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, many large construction projects pause during the peak summer period, reducing physical demand. At the same time, the monsoon season in India — the second-largest copper consumer in Asia — significantly curtails construction activity and transport from June to September: flooding halts building sites and disrupts supply chains. At the LME, trading volumes decline noticeably during the European holiday season, making price formation more susceptible to individual large transactions. Chinese warehouse stocks in SHFE warehouses often rise during this phase — a sign of waning industrial off-take.
The recovery in the fourth quarter is driven by several factors: in China, state and private developers use the final months before year-end to exhaust infrastructure budgets and complete projects before winter. Copper cables and pipes for grid expansion are ordered in large quantities during autumn. Pre-winter stockpiling also plays a role: since transport in northern regions of China becomes more difficult from December due to weather conditions, large consumers secure their supplies in October and November. Furthermore, many governments announce new stimulus packages and infrastructure programmes towards year-end, whose copper requirements the market immediately prices in. The weather-dependent construction cycles and monsoon dynamics make copper the only metal where climatic conditions exert a direct and measurable seasonal influence on the price.
Performance Calendar (Heatmap)
The performance calendar for copper displays a volatility profile that sits between the moderate fluctuations of gold and the extreme swings of palladium, yet follows its own distinct rhythm. Typical daily movements range from ±1 to 2%, but on days with surprising macro data — such as an unexpectedly weak Chinese Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) or a sudden Fed rate pivot — swings can rise to 4–5%. In the calendar, this manifests as an alternation between phases of moderate colour tones and sudden intensity spikes that can almost always be traced to a specific macroeconomic event. Unlike gold, where geopolitical shocks are the drivers, copper reacts primarily to economic data and business cycle signals.
Particularly revealing are the colour patterns related to the Chinese LME session. Copper trading on the London Metal Exchange runs from 1:00 AM to 7:00 PM London time, with the early morning hours heavily influenced by Asian market participants. When Beijing releases economic data at 10:00 AM local time (2:00 AM CET), the copper price can move before European traders have begun their working day. Red clusters in the calendar — i.e. consecutive loss days — are frequently triggered by PMI disappointments, weak Chinese property market data, or unexpectedly high LME warehouse stocks. News from the Chinese property sector in particular, which accounts for approximately 20% of global copper demand, can generate multi-day red streaks. Conversely, green clusters frequently emerge from stimulus packages from Beijing, supply disruptions (mine strikes in Chile, export restrictions from the Congo), or announcements of infrastructure programmes.
For copper investors, the performance calendar offers a unique insight into real-time supply-demand dynamics. Weeks of consistently green cells point to a phase of physical tightness or expansionary economic policy, while persistently red sections often correlate with rising LME warehouse stocks and an economic cooling. LME trading hours mean that the essential price formation spans a broad time window — from the Asian opening through European core trading to the Ring close at 5:00 PM London time, which sets the official daily price. Those who regularly study the copper calendar recognise the close coupling between global economic sentiment and the copper price and can identify phases when the market is signalling an economic turning point — a reason why copper has earned its nickname "Dr. Copper" as an economic barometer.
Investing in Copper
Unlike gold and silver, physical copper is impractical as a direct investment -- the low price per kilogram and the sheer volume make storage uneconomical. Instead, investors have access to a range of financial instruments.
Copper ETCs and ETFs
Exchange-traded commodity products offer the simplest access to the copper price. The most important products for European investors:
- ◆ WisdomTree Copper (A0KRJU) -- One of the most liquid copper ETCs, tracking the Bloomberg Copper Subindex
- ◆ Global X Copper Miners ETF -- Broadly diversified ETF covering copper mining stocks worldwide
- ◆ iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF -- Combination of pure copper producers and diversified mining conglomerates
Watch out for roll costs: Copper ETCs are based on futures contracts that must be rolled regularly. In a contango market structure (futures price higher than spot price), this creates roll losses that can erode returns over the long term.
Copper Mining Stocks
Mining stocks provide leveraged exposure to the copper price, as rising prices disproportionately increase profit margins.
- ◆ Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) -- Largest publicly traded copper producer, operates the Grasberg mine (Indonesia)
- ◆ Southern Copper (SCCO) -- Mines in Peru and Mexico, one of the lowest-cost producers globally
- ◆ Ivanhoe Mines (IVN) -- Operates Kamoa-Kakula in the DR Congo, the largest new copper discovery in decades
- ◆ BHP Group / Rio Tinto -- Diversified mining giants with significant copper divisions
Copper Futures
Standardized copper futures are traded on the LME (London) and COMEX (New York) exchanges. An LME contract covers 25 tonnes, while a COMEX contract covers 25,000 pounds (~11.3 tonnes). These instruments are primarily designed for institutional participants and professional traders -- the margin requirements and loss potential typically exceed private investor budgets.