๐จThe Worldโs #1 Copper Supplier Is Quietly Breaking
This isnโt something most people are talking about yet.
But once you see it, itโs hard to unsee.
Chile produces about 24% of the worldโs copper.
And its production is no longer growing.
In fact, most estimates show Chile peaking around 2027 just as global demand for copper is starting to accelerate.
That timing matters more than it sounds.
Because this means the biggest source of supply in the world
is hitting its limits before the next wave of demand really shows up.
Thatโs why copper shortages are starting to feel unavoidable.
Whatโs happening in Chile isnโt dramatic or sudden.
Itโs slow, structural, and hard to fix.
Mines are getting older.
Ore grades are falling.
It takes more energy, more water, more money
just to produce the same amount of copper.
New projects take years to approve, years to build,
and theyโre getting harder to push through.
This isnโt about bad management or politics.
Itโs just geology catching up.
Now look at whatโs happening on the demand side.
AI data centers are spreading everywhere,
and theyโre incredibly copper-intensive power lines, cooling systems, grid upgrades.
At the same time, the US wants to bring manufacturing back home,
which means rebuilding factories, grids, and infrastructure.
Add in electrification and the energy transition,
and copper demand doesnโt just grow it becomes non-negotiable.
So hereโs the uncomfortable part.
The worldโs largest copper producer is topping out
right when the world needs more copper than ever.
Thatโs not a normal commodity cycle.
Thatโs a pressure point.
And when pressure builds in a market like this,
prices donโt adjust gently.
They move suddenly โ and usually before most people realize why.
Chile rolling over doesnโt feel dramatic today.
But itโs quietly setting the stage for the copper story everyone will be talking about later.