ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes interrelationships between the United States and Canada with respect to copper production, processing, and trade. It deals with a description of the US and Canadian industries as part of the international copper network, including supply, demand, and international trade and pricing mechanisms, on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis. The chapter focuses on the events and the issues in 1950-75 that had an impact on the bilateral copper relationship in particular. It provides a comparative analysis of each segment of the industry and examines the most important issues that surfaced in the mid-1970s—issues that affected the copper industries in both countries but that are also applicable to the mineral industry more generally. The fact that the copper market is international in scope presents a clear policy issue for both the United States and Canada. There are three types of copper-bearing minerals: sulfides, carbonates, and silicates. Sulfides are the most important, silicates the least.
