Hot metal being poured into a container.

From Utah to China, where in the world could Arizona copper sitting under an Apache holy site go?

Arizona copper should be smelted closer to home, says a W. P. Carey global supply chain expert.

In this article published Oct. 20, 2025, on KJZZ Phoenix:

But the real question, asks Joseph Van Orden, who teaches global supply chains at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business, specializing in critical minerals: 'Is it one of our strategic allies?' He believes the best bet is to smelt Arizona copper in the North American free trade bloc of Canada and Mexico — longtime U.S. allies President Donald Trump has been alienating lately — emphasizing 'copper doesn't need to move halfway around the world before we use it.'

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