We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
🌍 The cost of leaching copper oxide ore in the Central African Copperbelt is about to get even more expensive.
In the past few days a number of Middle Eastern Oil refineries have been attacked / closed. In addition, exports through the Strait of Hormuz have ground to a halt.
What has this got to do with leaching copper in one of the world’s largest copper belts ? Sulphur, or more specifically sulphuric acid.
Approximately, 50% of seaborne sulphur is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
90% of sulphur imported into Africa is from the Middle East… and therefore passes through the Strait of Hormuz
The central African Copperbelt imports around 2 million tonnes of this sulphur per annum. The sulphur is used in local sulphur burners to convert into sulphuric acid, which is used by mining companies for leaching copper out of copper oxide ores. One part of sulphur makes 3 parts of liquid high-strength sulphuric acid. Therefore, 2.0 million tonnes of sulphur produces approximately 6.0 million tonnes of sulphuric acid.
The price of high-strength sulphuric in Kolwezi, on the western edge of the DRC Copperbelt, has been trading near all-time highs of $700-$800/tonne for the past 4-5 months, due to regional export restrictions, higher copper prices, as well as an already tight global sulphur market. This price will rise further.
I have heard that traders are already struggling to source any. Sulphuric acid prices will therefore significantly increase across Africa… and if the disruption lasts longer than ~3 weeks, copper oxide operations will have to close as they’ve run out of acid.
Oxide copper is the dominant ore source of copper produced in DRC… and the DRC is the world’s 2nd largest copper producer.
đź”— Robert Friedland
America’s bees and beekeepers are losing a valuable ally just when they need its help most.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to soon close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, a 6,500-acre agricultural research station in Maryland that is home to the nation’s premier bee research and disease diagnosis hub, the Beltsville Bee Research Lab.
The closure comes at a critical moment for bees. In winter 2025, many beekeepers lost over half their operations as pesticide-resistant varroa mites spread, bringing deadly viruses. The losses have led to low honey production, and soaring fuel costs have made shipping bees cross-country for agricultural pollination increasingly expensive, further stressing the industry.
