Demand for copper is rising, but supply is falling behind

Even with improvements in copper recycling rates and technologies, the world's mines aren't on track to produce enough copper to meet global demand by 2050. Production from existing mines will fall over time, so if no new mines open, the shortfall will be as much as 17 million metric tons of copper each year. In the best-case scenario, all probable and possible global mines would open as well. That would make up some of the shortfall, but not all of it.