The global copper price is soaring like a wild horse, and an unprecedented "copper theft storm" is sweeping the logistics industry. As the international copper price breaks through the historical peak, any copper-containing materials in the United States, from telecommunications base stations to railway cables, from construction sites to freight trucks, have become the "hot cakes and cakes" of criminals. What is even more shocking is that organized crime groups have developed high-tech means of committing crimes, and even the sophisticated protection systems of professional logistics companies have been frequently breached.



[The surge in copper prices has spawned a wave of crime]

After the Trump administration announced a 50% tariff on imported copper from August 1, the price of copper futures in the United States hit an epic rise this week. Data shows that since 2025, the price of copper in the United States has risen 35%. This red metal is experiencing an unprecedented demand explosion due to its key role in emerging industries such as new energy and data centers. But what is worrying is that the growth rate of copper theft cases in trucks during the same period is even more alarming than the increase in copper prices, forming a strange "crime candlestick chart".

【Theft methods are fully upgraded】

Criminals' methods of committing crimes have evolved to an astonishing degree. They are no longer satisfied with the theft of street light cables piecemeal, but have set their sights on industrial-grade copper materials in whole vehicles. The theft of 2,000 feet of cables from the Eurostar railway is just the tip of the iceberg. Now more professional criminal groups have hacked into freight information platforms and used big data analysis to accurately locate high-value copper cargo transportation routes. Verisk CargoNet's annual report shows that logistics thefts in the United States and Canada surged by 26% in 2024, with copper products ranking first on the list of "most dangerous commodities."

[Shocking real cases]
The experience of Integrity Express Logistics Company in Ohio is a textbook case. The criminal gang stole the identity data of the freight company, perfectly copied the information of the cooperating carrier, and calmly picked up the copper core cables worth $135,000 during the off-get off work hours on Friday. Eric Alin, the company's chief operating officer, recalled that it was not until the consignee asked about it three days later that they realized that they had encountered a carefully planned "perfect crime." In order to maintain customer relations, the company had to pay the full amount out of its own pocket, because this kind of high-tech theft is often not covered by insurance claims.

[Industry defense system is in crisis]
Faced with the increasingly rampant theft, logistics companies are being forced into a security upgrade arms race, including strengthening carrier identity verification systems, developing smart cargo tracking chips, and establishing high-risk cargo early warning mechanisms. However, criminals can always find loopholes in the system. Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk CargoNet, pointed out: "Today's thieves are like savvy futures traders. They steal whatever is valuable, and the anonymity of copper makes it the most ideal stolen goods."

[The deep impact spreads]
This "copper crisis" is reshaping the entire supply chain ecosystem. Transport companies have to increase their security budgets, cargo owners have begun to demand armed escorts throughout the journey, and even new insurance products such as "copper transportation insurance" have emerged. More seriously, due to the long-term low reporting rate, the actual losses may far exceed official statistics. Industry insiders are worried that if the theft momentum cannot be effectively curbed, all costs will eventually be passed on to consumers, further pushing up the prices of terminal products such as electronic products and new energy vehicles.