Pepperdine’s Brandon Parsons Discusses Implications of Proposed Copper Tariff on CNN

Brandon Parsons, faculty member at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, is raising concerns about the wide-ranging economic effects of a proposed 50% tariff on copper imports, recently reported by CNN.

Copper prices surged 13% in a single day following the announcement, reaching historic highs. Parsons explained that the tariff could significantly disrupt industries due to copper’s essential role in manufacturing and the limited availability of substitutes.

“There isn’t really a good way for businesses or consumers to avoid these higher costs,” Parsons told CNN. “It’s going to be felt widespread through the economy.”

He also emphasized the difficulty of ramping up domestic copper production, pointing out that any meaningful increase could take years to achieve.

“The rationale for this is to encourage production and investment in copper in the United States,” he said. “The issue is it’s not like producing water, where you just open up the faucet. It could take years and years to open up a new copper mine, or even to expand production.”

While the tariff may serve as a long-term incentive, Parsons noted that its immediate effects could be painful for consumers and businesses. “While this does provide some incentive, it’s something that’s more long-run. You’re going to feel the short-run pain,” he added.

Parsons’ analysis offers timely insight into the potential inflationary ripple effects a copper tariff could create across the U.S. economy.

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