Deals

World's Biggest Miners Want More Copper But Nobody's Selling

  • Copper demand forecast to grow as cities, electric cars expand
  • Rio Tinto CEO says he’s keeping a watching brief on M&A

July 13 Report: Trade War Drives Copper Into Worst Weekly Losing Streak Since '15

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It’s the mining world’s biggest dilemma: everyone’s hunting for copper deals, but even the richest producers just can’t pull the trigger.

The largest miners all say they’re bullish on copper and looking for growth in the metal that’s forecast to be in ever-greater demand as cities expand and electric vehicles gain traction. The industry has deep pockets for deals right now -- Rio Tinto Group may end the year having raised $8.5 billionBloomberg Terminal from asset sales and rivals like BHP Billiton Ltd. and Glencore Plc are churning out massive profits.