Copper Price in 1997

In 1997, the price of copper averaged $1.03 per pound, down 1.0% from the year before. This page covers the 1997 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that copper would be worth in today's dollars.

1997 Average

$1.03

LME/COMEX annual average, USD/lb

Change vs 1996

-1.0%

from $1.04 in 1996

What happened to the copper price in 1997

Copper averaged $1.03 per pound in 1997, essentially unchanged from $1.04 in 1996. The notable development of 1997: Asian financial crisis.

The 1990s were choppy and ultimately weak. Copper rallied mid-decade before the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, the Russian default, and the LTCM collapse hammered industrial demand, leaving copper near a twelve-year low around $0.71 by 1999.

Adjusted for inflation, copper's 1997 average of $1.03 equals about $2.07 in today's dollars. The conversion uses US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the price of copper in 1997?

Copper averaged $1.03 per pound in 1997, based on LME and COMEX annual average data. That average was down 1.0% from $1.04 in 1996.

What is a 1997 copper price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, copper's 1997 average of $1.03 works out to roughly $2.07 in today's dollars, using 2025 as the CPI base year. The conversion uses BLS CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

What moved the copper price in 1997?

The defining story of 1997: Asian financial crisis. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 1.0%, from $1.04 in 1996 to $1.03.

Annual averages are LME and COMEX copper prices per pound in US dollars. Where shown, the yearly high, low, and close come from MetalCharts daily historical data and may differ slightly from figures published elsewhere. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.