Price shock ahead: ACs, bath fittings and kitchen essentials to burn a hole in your pocket as metal costs skyrocket
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : The rise in prices of metals like copper, aluminium and nickel may lead to increase in the prices of ACs, bath fittings and other items used extensively in the kitchen.
The price of aluminum in the international market has exceeded $3,000 per tonne, the highest in the past three years. Copper prices have surpassed an all-time high of $12,000 per tonne. Several reports suggest that the higher-than-expected price increases in these metals, especially copper, have increased input costs for many manufacturers, leaving them unable to absorb further increases. This could lead to higher prices for air conditioners, kitchen appliances, bath fittings, and cookware.
Copper prices recently reached ₹1,300 per kg on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). Many manufacturers are planning to increase prices by 5-8 percent to maintain margins. Bathware makers are also facing pressure, as prices of brass, a copper-based metal, have risen by double digits since the beginning of the financial year. The rise in aluminum prices reflects structural supply constraints, such as smelting capacity restrictions in China and lower production in Europe due to persistently high electricity costs, while long-term demand from construction, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects remains strong.
Copper posted its biggest annual gain since 2009 amid repeated supply disruptions. Mining accidents in Indonesia, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a worker strike at a major Chilean mine, have reduced availability, while trade uncertainties have boosted shipments to the United States. Nickel prices also rose after reports indicated plans by Indonesia, the world's largest producer, to cut production, and a temporary halt at a mine owned by PT Vale Indonesia raised short-term supply concerns.
Not only copper, aluminum, and nickel, but precious metals like gold and silver have also seen strong gains. Gold has returned approximately 65 percent and silver around 145 percent in 2025.