Copper theft has escalated globally, driven by a surge in the metal's value, reaching near-record highs in late 2025 and an increase of over 30% in the US this year. This rise is attributed to increased demand from renewable energy projects, AI data centers, new infrastructure networks, and the Trump administration's 50% tariff on copper imports imposed on August 1, 2025. Criminals are targeting various sources, including telephone cables, railway power lines, and solar panels, leading to significant economic losses and societal disruption.
The financial impact of these thefts is substantial. AT&T, for example, spent over $60 million on copper theft alone in the last year, with $40 million nationwide so far in 2025 and $2.2 million in Missouri. The company reported 2,200 incidents in California in 2024, a sharp increase from 71 in 2021. Bell Canada has seen a 78% increase in copper theft incidents between January and June 2026 compared to the same period last year, with 993 incidents. In New Brunswick, thefts increased by 235% from 2025. The overall damage and disruption are costing economies billions, with an estimated $2.5 million in damage to the Carquinez Bridge from the theft of 38,000 feet of copper wire.
Beyond financial costs, copper theft poses significant public safety risks. The disruption to telecommunications infrastructure can cut off access to emergency services like 911 calls, affecting millions of customers. Over 9.5 million customers were affected by more than 15,000 destructive attacks on domestic communication networks between June 2024 and June 2025, with California and Texas accounting for over half of these incidents. Thieves often cut into fiber-optic internet cables mistakenly, further exacerbating service outages. Companies like AT&T and Bell are offering rewards of up to $20,000 for information leading to arrests, and some jurisdictions, like California, are increasing penalties for copper theft and cracking down on illicit sales to recyclers.
