As the U.S. and Europe move towards more electricity use in transportation and energy, copper will rise in demand even as supply crunches remain, said Nicole Adshead-Bell, Director at Cupel Advisory . "Copper is the key industrial metal," she said. "[But] there is a paucity of new discoveries, and there's a paucity of material supply." Bloomberg projects a 50 percent rise in demand for copper by 2040, largely due to transportation needs. "[Copper is] heavily used in batters in cars," Adshead-Bell explained. "The increase in copper use from an ICE vehicle to an electric vehicle is from 100 pounds to 400 pounds. " ... (full story)