Copper is among the three most used metals in the world, and high quantities of the red metal must be mined every year but the problem is that copper is not being discovered fast enough to meet upcoming demand. There are several reasons for this as the infographic below illustrates.
The above edited excerpts come from the infographic below* by VisualVapitalist.com originally entitled The Looming Copper Supply Crunch which can be seen in its entirety HERE.
1. Copper’s Largest & Most Important Producing Countries
Copper is one of the most important and popular industrial metals in the world. With 3% per year production growth since 1900, approximately 16 million tons of the metal was produced in 2011, according to the International Copper Study Group. Below, we outline some of the largest and most important copper-producing nations across the world:
2. Why Copper Prices Have Increased So Dramatically Over the Last 10 Years
In this infographic we explore why copper prices have increased by 4x over the course of 10 years.
I am convinced that we are still relatively early in a secular commodity bull market. In fact, with the modernization of Chindia and numerous other less-developed nations, I expect this bull market will be one for the record books. Fundamental demand coupled with inflation will push resource prices to unimaginable heights. Words: 805
7. This Interactive Table of Commodity Returns Is Easy to Use – Try It
Natural resources are the building blocks of the world, essential to progress and prosperity. These commodities, like all investments, can have wide price fluctuations over time. The interactive table provided shows the ebb and flow of commodity prices over the past decade and illustrates the principle of mean reversion—the concept that returns eventually move back towards their mean or average. [Take a look.]
8. A Comparison of the Physical Properties of Gold, Silver, Platinum and Copper
This article…looks at physical gold, silver, platinum and copper regarding their respective versatility of use, durability, fungibility, store of value, liquidity and aesthetics [which will] yield a new perspective on precious metals (including copper). Words: 850