New Copper Mines on the Horizon: North America's Copper Boom
Introduction
Copper powers electric vehicles, renewable infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and industrial electrification. Major new mines are coming online across North America. But extraction is only half the story. What really matters is whether we can refine enough copper close to home. For employers, governments, and recruitment leaders alike, this moment marks a shift in both policy and opportunity.
Visual Insight: The Copper Refining Gap
Before diving into the policy impacts and workforce implications, it helps to see the challenge visually.
The chart below outlines projected copper refining capacity in the United States and Canada, total copper demand across North America, and expected new mine output from 2024 to 2030.
Copper demand rises steadily while refining capacity lags behind, particularly in the United States.
Chart data compiled from USGS, CSIS, Glencore, IEA, FMI, and Ivanhoe Electric reporting.
New copper output is coming
The Santa Cruz copper project in Arizona, developed by Ivanhoe Electric, is one of the most significant new mining developments in the United States. Production is expected to begin by 2028, with projected output of nearly three billion pounds of copper over the life of mine (1). The project is part of a broader push to strengthen domestic supply of critical minerals.
New tariffs show an old problem
On 30 July 2025, the United States introduced a 50 percent tariff on imported semi finished copper goods such as wiring, tubing, and fittings. These came into effect on 1 August (2). Notably, copper ores, concentrates, cathodes, and anodes were excluded from the tariff list (3).
This policy is designed to stimulate investment in downstream copper processing within the United States. But there is a structural gap. As of 2024, the United States refined approximately 585,000 metric tonnes of copper per year, less than half of its mined output. Only two full processing smelters operate nationally, and capital investment has lagged for decades (4).
Canada holds the refining advantage
Canada’s position looks very different. Most Canadian copper is exported as concentrate or cathode, meaning it falls outside the scope of United States tariffs (5). The Horne Smelter in Quebec remains one of the largest and most capable copper refining facilities in North America, with throughput that includes both mined and recycled inputs (6).
Whereas the United States must ramp up refining capacity in order to meet policy goals, Canada is already positioned to serve both domestic and continental demand.
What this means for recruitment
As refining bottlenecks persist, skilled professionals in processing, operations, and metallurgy will become more essential than ever. Canadian recruitment firms can support not just new mines but also cross border projects that require refining expertise. From plant operators to process engineers and environmental leads, demand is rising.
If you are hiring for copper projects or expanding your technical team, now is the time to align workforce planning with production and trade realities.
Speak with an expert
We work directly with operators, contractors, and technical leaders across Canada and the United States. Whether you need help recruiting for a major project or assessing talent trends in processing and metallurgy, we are ready to support you.
Follow us on LinkedIn for more updates on hiring across energy and natural resources.
References:
Santa Cruz Copper Project Overview, Ivanhoe Electric
United States Introduces 50 Percent Tariff on Copper Goods,” Financial Times
Refined Copper and Concentrates Exempt from Tariff Framework,” Reuters
United States Copper Refining Capacity Data, USGS 2024 Minerals Yearbook; CSIS Brief
Canada Exempt from Tariffs Due to Export Composition,” BNN Bloomberg
Horne Smelter Operations, Glencore Canada