Reuters: Arizona's battle over crucial copper mine poised to sway US election

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Chile produces the most copper ore

But, that’s not what the article is talking about.

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/china%E2%80%99s-pursuit-copper-changing-latin-america-210171

April 1, 2024

China’s Pursuit of Copper Is Changing Latin America

Copper mining has always been a highly competitive industry, and the geopolitical imperatives surrounding its production are thickening.

by Scott B. MacDonald Alejandro Trenchi

Copper is one of the world’s most useful industrial metals. If you tear open any mobile phone, laptop, solar panel, wind turbine, or electric vehicle (EV), you will find it. Without copper, there can be no green revolution. While demand for the reddish metal is set to rise, potential disruptions could also put upward pressure on prices, favoring the world’s leading producers, Chile and Peru. However, China is looking to play a more significant role in the production and refining of copper, which will change the economic landscape for the two South American countries and the United States. The geopolitical implications are also significant as China gains greater weight in critical materials, casting a long shadow over American plans to transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy.

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In February 2024, China approved a $2.4 billion plan to expand the Julong copper mine in the Qinhai-Tibet Plateau. Operated by the Zijin Mining Group, the project would give the Asian country the world’s largest copper mine. It is expected to start operations by year-end 2025 and will help secure China’s position as the world’s leader in copper refining.

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