As we move into the second quarter of 2026, the narrative in global commodities is shifting from precious metals to industrial powerhouses, with copper leading the charge. The "Red Metal" is witnessing a perfect storm of tightening supply and skyrocketing demand from the accelerating global energy transition.
### The Demand Driver: Electrification 2.0
The massive push for EV infrastructure in Southeast Asia and the continued expansion of data centers (which are incredibly copper-intensive) are the primary drivers. Every megawatt of data center capacity requires nearly 20 tons of copper for cabling, heat exchangers, and power distribution.
### Supply Constraints
On the supply side, major mines in Chile and Peru are facing declining ore grades. New projects are taking longer to permit and build, creating a structural deficit that many analysts believe will persist until at least 2028.
### Why It Matters for Bursa Screener Users
Malaysian industrial companies involved in wire and cable manufacturing are the direct beneficiaries. We are seeing margin expansion in companies like **Southern Cable Group** and **Leader Steel**, who are successfully passing on higher raw material costs to customers backed by strong order books.
*Data sourced from LME, Bloomberg and Industrial Metal reports as of March 2026.*
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