Commodities
Concerns about shortage of acid used in smelting push metal closer to record highs
Uncertainty about the situation in the Middle East saw copper prices fall in late March, but they have since rebounded. © Reuters
TOKYO — Speculative money is pouring into copper and pushing international prices close to record highs as observers look to a new supply risk from the conflict in the Middle East: a potential shortage of sulfur, which is key to copper smelting.