In order to bring copper in before the tariffs take effect, U.S. copper imports reached a record high in April

Some commodity trading giants, including Mercuria Energy Group and Trafigura Group, have accelerated their shipping speeds to import copper into the United States ahead of potential import tariffs. According to media reports, based on high-frequency shipping data from IHS Markit, over 170,000 tons of refined copper were shipped to the U.S. last month, setting a new record since this data began being recorded in 2014. If this figure is ultimately confirmed by the U.S. official trade data for April, it will surpass the official record set in November 2001, when approximately 142,000 tons were imported