KARACHI — As of July 18, 2026, the domestic copper market in Pakistan continues to witness robust pricing, with high-grade Millberry scrap copper maintaining a strong position at approximately PKR 5,500 per kilogram across major industrial hubs, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Gujranwala. Meanwhile, premium new purified copper, highly sought after for high-grade electrical wiring and industrial applications, is trading at a premium ranging from PKR 5,800 to over PKR 6,200 per kilogram, with the strongest quotes recorded in Karachi and Lahore. Lower-grade mixed or average copper scrap prices show wide variations, trading between PKR 2,100 and PKR 3,500 per kilogram depending on local market conditions. Market analysts attribute the high domestic rates to a combination of stringent import tariffs, rising domestic transportation costs, localized taxes, and intense demand from the infrastructure, construction, and electrical wiring sectors.
On the global front, copper remains highly buoyant due to surging industrial consumption, with benchmark prices hovering between $6.22 and $6.29 per pound, translating to roughly $13,500 to $13,700 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange (LME). Driven by the rapid expansion of green energy infrastructure and recovering global manufacturing output, the metal has posted significant year-over-year gains. At the current exchange rate of roughly 280 PKR per USD, the international benchmark equates to PKR 3,800–3,950 per kilogram before accounting for import freight, duties, and local dealer margins. Short-term market forecasts project international copper prices to trade within the $6.30 to $6.40 per pound range, with long-term estimates predicting the metal will breach the $7.00 mark within the next 12 months as the global clean energy transition accelerates.
