Could Copper Markets Reach a Surplus in 2018?

Whether markets are in a state of deficit or surplus is a function of both supply and demand. In this article, we’ll look at leading copper miners’ 2018 operating plans to gauge how copper supply could play out this year. According to CNBC, Codelco CEO Nelson Pizarro stated that the world’s largest copper miner expects to produce “slightly more than 1.7 million tonnes of copper in 2018.” Codelco produced 1.7 billion pounds of copper last year, and the company expects its 2018 copper production to be similar.