Sep 18, 2026 (Bloomberg) –There’s nothing outwardly remarkable about the journey of the Nord Norfolk, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier sailing across the Atlantic toward New Orleans.
But the boat is loaded with roughly half a billion dollars of African copper, the highest market value for a single commodity shipment ever recorded by analytics firm Kpler. It’s part of a rush of copper to US shores ahead of potential import tariffs, a deluge that’s key ports are struggling to absorb.
The Port of New Orleans — a key metals gateway and major hub for CME Group’s Comex copper warehouses — is already largely full, according to people familiar with the matter. And that’s before a total of around 100,000 metric tons more of African and South American copper they say is due to arrive in September and October…