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    1. Electrical Economy
    2. Materials Pricing

    Metals Markets Venturing Into Uncharted Pricing Territory

    April 6, 2020
    Electrical Wholesaling's copper expert, John Gross publisher of The Copper Journal, offers some insight into what's happening with metals and why we may see some U.S. manufacturing come back home after the COVID-19 crisis.

    It remains difficult for all of us to comprehend how lives have changed around the world over the past two months, and it's just as hard to fathom how our markets have been affected as well.

    A brief review of the charts tells us we are in the midst of a crisis, with prices for base metals falling sharply after support lines were broken, while precious metals, energy and currencies swing back and forth violently, and interest rates fall to record lows.

    John Gross 130 0
    When you look at the price of gold relative to silver, crude oil and equities, it further underscores how distorted markets have become of late. We wouldn’t venture a guess as to when this storm will pass, or even try to estimate where prices will go from here, other than to say, copper specifically has thus far held it’s low.

    But we will make a few forecasts with confidence, as the current crisis has taught us some very important and valuable lessons:

    1. We will see a great wave of manufacturing returning to the United States.
    2. Over time, national priorities will be recalibrated, enabling the United States to become more self-sufficient in our ability to produce metals and other critical raw materials necessary to make products we require and maintain our standard of living.
    3. Copper, brass, and other copper-based alloys, with their antimicrobial properties will see demand increase for applications in and on hygiene-sensitive surfaces.

    John Gross, publisher of The Copper Journal,  is one of the metals' industry's best resources on copper pricing trends. If you would like to learn more about how to manage your wire and cable inventory in this volatile market environment, 

    email John at [email protected] or call him at 631-824-6486.

    About the Author

    John Gross | President

    John Gross is president of J.E. Gross & Co., Inc, the management consulting firm he established in 1987. In addition to his consulting activities, Gross has worked with global leaders in the metals industry over the past thirty-five years. He began his career in metals in 1973 when he joined U.S. Metals Refining Company, a division of Amax Inc., where he rose to become manager of administration. In 1981 he joined Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting as manager of trading and in 1983 became a futures broker with Johnson Matthey, specializing in metals on Comex and the London Metal Exchange.

    He joined BICC Cables Corp. in 1985, now owned by General Cable, where he became V.P. of strategic metals for their North American operations. He was also director of metals management with Scott Brass, a producer and manufacturer of copper and brass strip products.

    Gross is a graduate of Hofstra University, and is a highly decorated Vietnam Veteran. He has held memberships in several trade organizations; was a director of the American Copper Council, and served as a member of the Comex Advisory Committee. He is very active in industry affairs, and has written extensively on the metal markets, industry issues.

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