US copper output remains steady in 2025

GlobalData

Mon, November 24, 2025 astatine 6:00 AM CST 2 min read

The US’ copper accumulation is expected to stay mostly unchangeable successful 2025 astatine 1,077 kilotonnes, equivalent to yearly maturation of 1.7% year-on-year versus 2024. The constricted maturation is chiefly attributed to planned little accumulation from large operations specified arsenic the Kennecott Copper Project and the Phoenix Mine. At Kennecott, wholly owned by Rio Tinto, a scheduled attraction shutdown astatine its concentrator and smelter during the 3rd 4th of 2025 has temporarily reduced output. However, accumulation is expected to rebound successful 2026 with the commencement of underground operations astatine the North Rim Skarn country of the Kennecott Copper Project.

Similarly, the Phoenix Mine, jointly owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont, is expected to grounds little accumulation owed to the processing of lower-grade ores successful 2025. Despite these impermanent setbacks, the diminution successful output volition beryllium partially offset by the commissioning of caller and restarted operations, including the Johnson Camp Restart Project and the Mineral Park Restart Project. The Johnson Camp task began operations successful August 2025 aft securing permits successful October 2024, marking the archetypal copper accumulation from the excavation since its restart.

The US copper industry’s medium-term outlook remains positive, supported by respective caller projects scheduled to commence operations from 2026 onwards. Notably, the Florence and Copperwood projects are expected to commencement accumulation successful 2026, unneurotic adding astir 70 kilotonnes per annum of caller copper capacity. Meanwhile, the Mineral Park Restart Project is advancing its improvement and is expected to statesman proceedings accumulation by the extremity of 2025, with a much important publication anticipated successful 2026. Copper from the task volition beryllium supplied to the US energy, defence, and manufacturing industries, aligning with nationalist efforts to heighten home mineral security. The task has an estimated yearly accumulation capableness of astir 11.2 kilotonnes.

Additionally, the start-up of large-scale projects specified arsenic the Mesaba (2029), and Ann Mason (2030), among others is projected to importantly summation the country’s output, elevating the US to 1 of the apical 5 planetary copper producers by 2030, and further improving its ranking by 2035.

Overall, the country’s copper output is forecast to turn astatine a compound yearly maturation complaint (CAGR) of 7.2% betwixt 2025 and 2035, reaching 2,158 kilotonnes by 2035. This semipermanent maturation volition beryllium underpinned by the commissioning of respective projects, including the CK Gold Project, Antler Mine, Tamarack, and MacArthur, which volition collectively lend to strengthening the country’s proviso resilience and gathering rising home and planetary copper demand.