Deluge Of Copper Arriving In US Leaves New Orleans With Logjam

By Yvonne Yue Li, James Attwood and Julian Luk

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