Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
Global Advocacy Report – LinkedIn Edition – July 14, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policy agenda is back at the top of the headlines, with a near-daily tempo of major announcements. Experts say the short-term impacts of new tariffs on copper could be higher costs for electronics manufacturers, who depend on copper for circuit boards, wiring, power systems, and thermal management – as well as downstream sectors.
Meanwhile, the Global Electronics Association is partnering with our industry peers in advocating for healthy European budget investments in the electronics ecosystem. And we’re launching a new Circularity Resources Hub and Sustainability newsletter to help our members master risk reduction, cost efficiency, and long-term resilience.
Attention Midwesterners: This Friday, join us in Schaumburg, Illinois, just outside Chicago, for an EMS Leadership discussion of new manufacturing technologies and related workforce issues. Details below.
Scroll onward for a quick rundown of relevant policy news and trends worldwide. And as always, please let us know how we can advocate for your interests.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
The copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50 percent tariff on imported copper effective August 1. As reported by The New York Times, the news sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13 percent in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.
With limited domestic smelting and refining capacity, experts cited by Axios and The Financial Times warn that the short-term impact of the tariff would be higher costs for critical industries, including electronics, which depends on copper for circuit boards, wiring, power systems, and thermal management.
The Global Electronics Association is monitoring the situation closely and urging the administration to exempt electronics-grade copper and associated materials from the tariff list. Meanwhile, manufacturers should assess potential cost impacts and explore supply diversification, recycling strategies, and material substitutions. Contact: Richard Cappetto
Deadline Delayed but Pressures Mount in U.S. Tariff Standoff
The global electronics industry remains in limbo as U.S. President Donald Trump extended his July 9 “reciprocal” tariffs deadline to August 1, leaving about two weeks to reach multiple trade deals with key nations before sweeping new duties take effect.
During a week of many trade policy announcements, the president also said he would raise the global blanket tariffs from 10% today to as high as 20% and raise tariffs on the European Union, Canada, and Mexico to 30%. The situation seems likely to evolve dramatically on multiple fronts over the coming days.
According to The New York Times, the White House is using the threat of tariffs as a high-pressure tool to drive last-minute trade concessions, particularly targeting sectors such as automobiles, metals, and electronics components. If implemented, these tariffs could significantly raise input costs and further strain supply chains.
The Global Electronics Association is closely tracking the situation and urging U.S. trade officials to exempt key manufacturing inputs such as semiconductors, PCBs, raw materials, and specialized equipment. These goods are essential to sustaining onshore production, and tariff-related disruptions could undermine the industry's competitiveness.
With the new deadlines just weeks away, electronics manufacturers should prepare for multiple scenarios.
Meanwhile, our advocacy efforts are ramping up, and member input is invited to help us shape policy recommendations and protect global sourcing strategies. Contact: Richard Cappetto
Global Electronics Association Collaborates for Strong EU Budget for Electronics
Last week, the Global Electronics Association co-hosted a roundtable discussion in Brussels focused on the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034. Organized in partnership with the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA), and SEMI Europe, the discussion centered on mobilizing EU funding for a more resilient electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, with emphasis on critical investment areas such as component and system-level packaging.
Officials from the European Commission, including the Head of Unit responsible for the European Chips Act, as well as representatives from the Netherlands, France, and Italy, joined the dialogue. The Global Electronics Association highlighted the importance of full value chain support to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and innovation capacity. Contact: Alison James
Global Electronics Association Unveils “Circularity Hub” for Sustainable Design
The Global Electronics Association has launched a new Circularity Resource Hub aimed at helping electronics manufacturers implement sustainable design practices at scale. According to eeNews Europe, the site offers centralized access to key industry standards, frameworks, and tools to support compliance with evolving global regulations such as Right to Repair and Ecodesign. It also features in-depth guidance on embedding circularity across the product life cycle and reducing e-waste through design for repairability, rework, and materials reclamation.
The resource will be continuously updated to address new challenges, with a focus on supporting risk reduction, cost efficiency, and long-term resilience. As Dr. Kelly Scanlon, GEA’s Lead Sustainability Strategist, emphasized, “The electronics ecosystem has an opportunity to embrace circularity to reduce risk – and minimize its life cycle impacts in the process.” Contact: Kelly Scanlon
And Check Out Our New Industry Newsletter on Sustainability
The Global Electronics Association’s Evolve sustainability program has launched a new industry newsletter, the Global Sustainability Report. The newsletter and Evolve program are designed to help the electronics industry take advantage of innovation opportunities and power an accelerated path to sustainability. The spotlight of the inaugural newsletter is circularity.
Read the issue and subscribe to receive subsequent monthly issues. Contact: Kelly Scanlon
Mark Your Calendars, Midwesterners, for the Midwest EMS Leader Roundtable: “Bot or Not? AI, Automation, and Assembling the Workforce of the Future,” in Schaumburg, Illinois.
This Friday, July 18, the Global Electronics Association will host the Midwest EMS Leader Roundtable. This year’s theme, “Bot or Not? AI, Automation, and Assembling the Workforce of the Future” will explore how electronics manufacturers are adapting to new technologies and workforce expectations. Industry leaders will share strategies on balancing human capital with automation in a rapidly evolving labor market.
Learn more and register here.
Learn More and Get Involved in Our Industry Advocacy
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Have a great week, and please contact us if you have any questions or insights to share.