In a week shaped as much by politics as production, copper has become a barometer of confidence. The metal’s advance in Shanghai followed a diplomatic thaw, with President Trump’s softer rhetoric toward Beijing offering investors a rare pause from escalating trade friction. China’s policymakers simultaneously reaffirmed their 5% growth target, a signal that the world’s largest consumer of industrial metals remains intent on economic steadiness amid uneven global signals.
The National Bureau of Statistics painted a nuanced picture of China’s recovery. Industrial output jumped 6.5% in September, comfortably above expectations, even as third-quarter GDP slipped to 4.8%, its slowest expansion in a year.
Futures in Shanghai rose around 1%, with London contracts echoing the trend. Tin, zinc, and iron ore also firmed modestly, reinforcing a cautiously constructive tone across metals markets. Traders attending last week’s LME gathering in London spoke of one of the most profitable years the industry has seen, as supply disruptions and tight inventories continue to squeeze the balance between demand and availability.
Jubilee Metals Group plc (LON:JLP) is a diversified metal recovery business with a world-class portfolio of projects in South Africa and Zambia. The Company’s expanding multi-project portfolio across South Africa and Zambia provides exposure to a broad commodity basket including Platinum Group Metals, chrome, lead, zinc, vanadium, copper and cobalt.