CommoditiesConcerns about shortage of acid used in smelting push metal closer to record highsUncertainty about the situation in the Middle East saw copper prices fall in late March, but they have since rebounded. © ReutersSHUGO YAMADAMay 22, 2026 06:27 JSTTOKYO -- 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.