Chile’s Copper Output Drop Adds Jitters to an Already Tight Market

2026-01-30 - 17:56

Key Points Chile produced 540,221 metric tons of copper in December 2025, down 4.7% year on year. Copper hit records above $14,000 a ton in late January, so small supply shifts can move prices fast. Strikes, lower ore grades and changing Chinese trade flows are complicating the outlook for 2026. Chile ended 2025 with a