Copper prices have surged to record highs as geopolitical disruption collides with long-term structural demand, but analysts warn the rally may be running ahead of a still-uneven fundamentals picture. The latest move has been driven in part by supply fears linked to tensions in the Middle East, where disruption to shipping routes has triggered knock-on effects across industrial inputs. Of particular concern to miners is a tightening in sulphuric acid availability, a key reagent used in copper extraction and processing. Traders say constraints in this input are beginning to feed through to production costs and ... (full story)