AI demand collides with natural disaster

Deadly storms that have disrupted copper mines in Chile could amplify market strains, strategists say, as the U.S. and China battle for supply of the critical industrial metal, in turn pushing prices higher. Although the immediate outages appear limited, mining disruption in Chile — which accounts for more than a fifth of global copper production…

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Price of tungsten, sulfur and helium

Almonty’s tungsten mine in Sangdong, South Korea, in March 2026. Almonty BEIJING — The Iran war is squeezing a global commodities market already pressured by China’s export controls and stockpiling efforts. Prices of three niche elements — tungsten, sulfur and helium — have climbed sharply in recent weeks. While none of the commodities are traded…

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