# Copper Price per kg (United States)

Copper costs $13.92 per kg contained in the United States as of October 2026, on the Stockatomics monthly benchmark. Copper is trading at a 12-month high of $13.92 per kg contained.

Source: https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/copper-price-us
Category: Critical Minerals (https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/critical-minerals)
Lists: US Critical Minerals List, EU Critical Raw Materials Act

## Key figures

| Figure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price per kg contained | $13.92 |
| Price type | Stockatomics monthly benchmark |
| Price month | October 2026 |
| 1-month change | +2.2% |
| 6-month change | +9.1% |
| 1-year change | +35.1% |
| 5-year change | +44.5% |
| 12-month high | $13.92 |
| 12-month low | $11.01 |
| Last updated | 18 October 2026 |

## Price summary

The price has reached its highest level of the past year, $13.92 per kg contained. Its 12-month range runs from a low of $11.01 to a high of $13.92. It is +35.1% over the past year and +44.5% over five years.

## Copper monthly prices

USD per kg contained, newest first.

| Month | Price | Change |
| --- | --- | --- |
| October 2026 | $13.92 | 0.0% |
| September 2026 | $13.92 | 0.0% |
| August 2026 | $13.92 | +2.3% |
| July 2026 | $13.61 | +1.9% |
| June 2026 | $13.35 | +2.9% |
| May 2026 | $12.97 | +2.6% |
| April 2026 | $12.64 | −2.1% |
| March 2026 | $12.91 | +1.2% |
| February 2026 | $12.76 | +7.0% |
| January 2026 | $11.93 | +7.9% |
| December 2025 | $11.06 | +0.5% |
| November 2025 | $11.01 | +6.9% |
| October 2025 | $10.30 | +2.1% |
| September 2025 | $10.09 | −2.0% |
| August 2025 | $10.30 | −1.4% |
| July 2025 | $10.45 | +6.3% |
| June 2025 | $9.83 | +1.1% |
| May 2025 | $9.72 | −3.2% |
| April 2025 | $10.04 | +3.9% |
| March 2025 | $9.66 | +5.0% |
| February 2025 | $9.20 | +0.7% |
| January 2025 | $9.14 | −0.8% |
| December 2024 | $9.21 | −4.1% |
| November 2024 | $9.60 | −0.9% |
| October 2024 | $9.69 | +5.4% |
| September 2024 | $9.19 | −3.4% |
| August 2024 | $9.51 | −2.8% |
| July 2024 | $9.78 | −3.1% |
| June 2024 | $10.09 | +1.4% |
| May 2024 | $9.95 | +10.9% |
| April 2024 | $8.97 | +4.2% |
| March 2024 | $8.61 | 0.0% |
| February 2024 | $8.61 | +2.0% |
| January 2024 | $8.44 | +0.7% |
| December 2023 | $8.38 | +2.9% |
| November 2023 | $8.14 | −1.3% |
| October 2023 | $8.25 | −2.7% |
| September 2023 | $8.48 | −0.9% |
| August 2023 | $8.56 | +0.9% |
| July 2023 | $8.48 | +0.7% |
| June 2023 | $8.42 | −4.8% |
| May 2023 | $8.84 | −1.4% |
| April 2023 | $8.97 | −0.6% |
| March 2023 | $9.02 | +1.5% |
| February 2023 | $8.89 | +5.6% |
| January 2023 | $8.42 | +2.9% |
| December 2022 | $8.18 | +4.7% |
| November 2022 | $7.81 | +0.8% |
| October 2022 | $7.75 | −2.3% |
| September 2022 | $7.93 | −2.6% |
| August 2022 | $8.14 | −4.6% |
| July 2022 | $8.53 | −9.5% |
| June 2022 | $9.43 | −6.2% |
| May 2022 | $10.05 | −1.5% |
| April 2022 | $10.20 | +4.7% |
| March 2022 | $9.74 | −0.3% |
| February 2022 | $9.77 | +0.6% |
| January 2022 | $9.71 | +0.4% |
| December 2021 | $9.67 | −0.1% |
| November 2021 | $9.68 | +1.8% |
| October 2021 | $9.51 | −0.2% |
| September 2021 | $9.53 | −1.0% |
| August 2021 | $9.63 | −0.7% |
| July 2021 | $9.70 | −3.8% |
| June 2021 | $10.08 | +3.6% |
| May 2021 | $9.73 | +6.2% |
| April 2021 | $9.16 | +7.1% |
| March 2021 | $8.55 | +6.6% |
| February 2021 | $8.02 | +1.8% |
| January 2021 | $7.88 | +7.4% |
| December 2020 | $7.34 | +7.5% |
| November 2020 | $6.83 | +1.3% |
| October 2020 | $6.74 | +3.7% |
| September 2020 | $6.50 | +2.0% |
| August 2020 | $6.37 | +6.5% |
| July 2020 | $5.98 | +8.9% |
| June 2020 | $5.49 | +5.2% |
| May 2020 | $5.22 | +1.0% |
| April 2020 | $5.17 | −7.7% |
| March 2020 | $5.60 | −6.0% |
| February 2020 | $5.96 | −2.9% |
| January 2020 | $6.14 | +2.8% |
| December 2019 | $5.97 | +2.1% |
| November 2019 | $5.85 | 0.0% |
| October 2019 | $5.85 | +1.7% |
| September 2019 | $5.75 | −2.4% |
| August 2019 | $5.89 | −1.5% |
| July 2019 | $5.98 | −0.7% |
| June 2019 | $6.02 | −5.0% |
| May 2019 | $6.34 | −1.2% |
| April 2019 | $6.42 | +0.9% |
| March 2019 | $6.36 | +5.0% |
| February 2019 | $6.06 | +0.8% |
| January 2019 | $6.01 | −1.2% |
| December 2018 | $6.08 | −0.5% |
| November 2018 | $6.11 | +0.8% |
| October 2018 | $6.06 | +0.8% |
| September 2018 | $6.01 | −4.1% |
| August 2018 | $6.27 | −5.3% |
| July 2018 | $6.62 | −3.4% |
| June 2018 | $6.85 | +0.7% |
| May 2018 | $6.80 | −0.3% |
| April 2018 | $6.82 | −1.9% |
| March 2018 | $6.95 | −0.9% |
| February 2018 | $7.01 | +0.6% |
| January 2018 | $6.97 | +3.0% |
| December 2017 | $6.77 | −1.0% |
| November 2017 | $6.84 | +3.8% |
| October 2017 | $6.59 | +1.2% |
| September 2017 | $6.51 | +5.9% |
| August 2017 | $6.15 | +6.2% |
| July 2017 | $5.79 | +2.5% |
| June 2017 | $5.65 | −1.6% |
| May 2017 | $5.74 | −0.5% |
| April 2017 | $5.77 | −2.4% |
| March 2017 | $5.91 | +1.0% |
| February 2017 | $5.85 | +4.1% |
| January 2017 | $5.62 | +1.8% |
| December 2016 | $5.52 | +13.1% |
| November 2016 | $4.88 | +2.5% |
| October 2016 | $4.76 | +1.1% |
| September 2016 | $4.71 | −2.9% |
| August 2016 | $4.85 | +1.9% |
| July 2016 | $4.76 | +1.7% |
| June 2016 | $4.68 | −3.5% |
| May 2016 | $4.85 | −0.8% |
| April 2016 | $4.89 | +4.3% |
| March 2016 | $4.69 | +2.6% |
| February 2016 | $4.57 | −0.9% |
| January 2016 | $4.61 | −4.6% |
| December 2015 | $4.83 | −5.7% |
| November 2015 | $5.12 | −2.5% |
| October 2015 | $5.25 | +0.2% |
| September 2015 | $5.24 | −3.9% |
| August 2015 | $5.45 | −6.5% |
| July 2015 | $5.83 | −6.1% |
| June 2015 | $6.21 | +2.0% |
| May 2015 | $6.09 | +1.2% |
| April 2015 | $6.02 | +3.3% |
| March 2015 | $5.83 | −0.5% |
| February 2015 | $5.86 | −7.6% |
| January 2015 | $6.34 | −3.8% |
| December 2014 | $6.59 | −2.1% |
| November 2014 | $6.73 | −1.0% |
| October 2014 | $6.80 | −2.6% |
| September 2014 | $6.98 | −1.6% |
| August 2014 | $7.09 | +0.6% |
| July 2014 | $7.05 | +1.0% |
| June 2014 | $6.98 | +1.7% |
| May 2014 | $6.86 | +0.4% |
| April 2014 | $6.83 | −5.4% |
| March 2014 | $7.22 | −1.4% |
| February 2014 | $7.32 | −1.3% |
| January 2014 | $7.42 | +2.5% |
| December 2013 | $7.24 | −1.4% |
| November 2013 | $7.34 | +1.2% |
| October 2013 | $7.25 | −1.1% |
| September 2013 | $7.33 | +3.4% |
| August 2013 | $7.09 | −0.8% |
| July 2013 | $7.15 | −1.2% |
| June 2013 | $7.24 | 0.0% |
| May 2013 | $7.24 | −4.5% |
| April 2013 | $7.58 | −4.7% |
| March 2013 | $7.95 | −1.7% |
| February 2013 | $8.09 | +1.3% |
| January 2013 | $7.99 | +2.7% |
| December 2012 | $7.78 | −1.6% |
| November 2012 | $7.91 | −3.2% |
| October 2012 | $8.17 | +6.4% |
| September 2012 | $7.68 | +1.7% |
| August 2012 | $7.55 | +1.2% |
| July 2012 | $7.46 | −2.6% |
| June 2012 | $7.66 | −7.6% |
| May 2012 | $8.29 | −1.7% |
| April 2012 | $8.43 | +0.2% |
| March 2012 | $8.41 | +2.3% |
| February 2012 | $8.22 | +7.6% |
| January 2012 | $7.64 | +1.3% |
| December 2011 | $7.54 | −0.5% |
| November 2011 | $7.58 | −1.6% |
| October 2011 | $7.70 | −14.3% |
| September 2011 | $8.98 | −5.8% |
| August 2011 | $9.53 | +2.6% |
| July 2011 | $9.29 | +2.4% |
| June 2011 | $9.07 | −2.6% |
| May 2011 | $9.31 | −2.1% |
| April 2011 | $9.51 | −0.7% |
| March 2011 | $9.58 | 0.0% |
| February 2011 | $9.58 | +7.5% |
| January 2011 | $8.91 | +5.6% |
| December 2010 | $8.44 | +2.1% |
| November 2010 | $8.27 | +4.8% |
| October 2010 | $7.89 | +9.4% |
| September 2010 | $7.21 | +5.1% |
| August 2010 | $6.86 | +3.2% |
| July 2010 | $6.65 | −3.9% |
| June 2010 | $6.92 | −8.2% |
| May 2010 | $7.54 | +1.6% |
| April 2010 | $7.42 | +4.8% |
| March 2010 | $7.08 | −0.8% |
| February 2010 | $7.14 | +2.3% |
| January 2010 | $6.98 | - |

## What copper is used for

Copper (Cu) is second only to silver in electrical conductivity, and roughly two-thirds of it ends up carrying electricity. **Power grids, building wiring, motors and transformers** are its core markets, and electrification multiplies them: an electric car contains several times the copper of a petrol car, wind and solar farms are copper-intensive, and every new **data centre** needs heavy power distribution. Construction and plumbing take most of the rest.

### Other uses

- Plumbing, roofing and heat exchangers
- Brass and bronze alloys
- Printed circuit boards and electronics
- Antimicrobial surfaces in hospitals

## Copper supply and demand factors

Demand for copper is broad and rising: construction, power networks, electronics and transport, with **electrification** adding grids, electric vehicles, renewables and data centres on top. Supply is the constraint. New mines take a decade or more to develop, ore grades at existing mines are falling, and a few very large pits in Chile, Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo carry a big share of world output, so disruption at one of them moves the market. US buyers also face their own layer of pricing, as tariff policy can open a gap between US and international prices.

### What moves the price

- Chinese demand and the health of global manufacturing
- Mine disruptions, strikes and grade declines
- US tariff policy and the gap between US and international prices
- Grid, electric vehicle and data centre investment

## Copper price history

Copper's modern history runs from the commodity supercycle peak of 2011 through a long slump to 2016, then up again with electrification. Prices set new records in 2021 and again in 2024, as investors and industry bet on demand from grids, electric vehicles and data centres meeting slow-growing mine supply.

In 2025 the prospect of US tariffs drew record volumes of copper into the United States and opened an unusually wide gap between US and international prices, a reminder that the US price has its own dynamics. As of October 2026, the Stockatomics benchmark price is $13.92 per kg contained.

## Where copper is produced

**Chile** is the world's largest copper miner, followed by **Peru**, the **Democratic Republic of Congo**, **China** and the **United States**. China is by far the largest refiner and consumer. In the US, copper is mined mainly in **Arizona**, Utah and New Mexico, and the country imports a large share of its refined copper.

## Why copper is a critical mineral

Copper was added to the **US critical minerals list** in 2025 and is on the **EU critical raw materials list**. Electrification is raising demand faster than new mines can be built, and disruption at a handful of very large mines can move the world price. The United States mines copper but relies on imports for much of its refined supply, and its smelting capacity has shrunk.

## How the copper benchmark price is calculated

Stockatomics publishes a monthly US benchmark price for copper in US dollars per kg contained, reading as of October 2026. The price is for contained copper metal traded into the United States, so it can move differently from exchange prices quoted elsewhere. It is not a price for concentrate, and it is not a treatment charge.

### Converting the price

- Per tonne: multiply the price per kg by 1,000
- Per pound, the unit used on the US futures market: multiply the price per kg by 0.4536

## Copper stocks

| Company | Ticker | Exchange | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Anglo American](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/anglo-american-lon-aal) | AAL | LON | Producer |
| [Antofagasta](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/antofagasta-lon-anto) | ANTO | LON | Producer |
| [Barrick Mining](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/barrick-mining-nyse-b) | B | NYSE | Producer |
| [BHP](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/bhp-nyse-bhp) | BHP | NYSE | Producer |
| [Boliden](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/boliden-sto-bol) | BOL | STO | Producer |
| [Capstone Copper](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/capstone-copper-tse-cs) | CS | TSE | Producer |
| [CMOC Group](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/cmoc-group-hkg-3993) | 3993 | HKG | Producer |
| [First Quantum Minerals](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/first-quantum-minerals-tse-fm) | FM | TSE | Producer |
| [Freeport-McMoRan](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/freeport-mcmoran-nyse-fcx) | FCX | NYSE | Producer |
| [Glencore](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/glencore-otc-glcnf) | GLCNF | OTC | Producer |
| [Hudbay Minerals](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/hudbay-minerals-tse-hbm) | HBM | TSE | Producer |
| [Ivanhoe Mines](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/ivanhoe-mines-tse-ivn) | IVN | TSE | Producer |
| [KGHM Polska Miedz](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/kghm-otc-kghpf) | KGHPF | OTC | Producer |
| [Lundin Mining](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/lundin-mining-tse-lun) | LUN | TSE | Producer |
| [Rio Tinto](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/rio-tinto-nyse-rio) | RIO | NYSE | Producer |
| [Southern Copper](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/southern-copper-nyse-scco) | SCCO | NYSE | Producer |
| [Vale](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/vale-nyse-vale) | VALE | NYSE | Producer |
| [Newmont](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/newmont-nyse-nem) | NEM | NYSE | By-product producer |
| [Nexa Resources](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/nexa-resources-nyse-nexa) | NEXA | NYSE | By-product producer |
| [Pan American Silver](https://www.stockatomics.com/companies/pan-american-silver-nyse-paas) | PAAS | NYSE | By-product producer |

All 20 copper stocks: https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/copper-stocks

## FAQ

### What is the price of copper per kg today?

Copper costs $13.92 per kg contained in the United States as of October 2026, on the Stockatomics monthly benchmark. Stockatomics updates it every month.

### Why can the US copper price differ from the London price?

US tariff policy and the cost of getting metal to US buyers can open a gap between US and international prices, as happened in 2025.

### Why is copper important for the energy transition?

Electric vehicles, grids, wind and solar farms and data centres all need far more copper than the systems they replace.

### Where does US copper come from?

The US mines copper, mainly in Arizona, but imports a large share of its refined copper, chiefly from Chile, Canada and Peru.

### How is the copper benchmark price calculated?

The Stockatomics benchmark for copper is a monthly US price in US dollars per kg contained, published every month and current as of October 2026.

## Related commodities

- [Silver price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/silver-price-us): $2,040 per kg contained
- [Zinc price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/zinc-price-us): $3.79 per kg contained
- [Nickel price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/nickel-price-us): $17.24 per kg contained
- [Lead price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/lead-price-us): $1.93 per kg contained
- [Cobalt price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/cobalt-price-us): $56.81 per kg contained
- [Metallurgical coal price per kg](https://www.stockatomics.com/commodities/metallurgical-coal-price-us): $0.15 per kg coal

## Sources

- U.S. trade data: the monthly copper price.
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): the US critical minerals list.
- Company filings: the listed companies and their roles.

Last updated 18 October 2026.