There is copper in the wall behind you. There is more of it in an electric car than in a petrol one, and more again in the grid that charges it. In September 2026 it trades around $6.57 a pound, roughly $14,500 a tonne, up about 46% on the year, having set an all-time high in August.

That number is the last thing that happens to a copper cargo. Not the first.