Copper mining has been contributing to the economy of what is now called Arizona since before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th Century. Beginning in the late 19th Century, copper mining and processing became one of the primary means by which first the Arizona Territory and then the State of Arizona were transformed from a wilderness to a modern industrial economy. The production of copper and byproduct metals, especially molybdenum, silver, and gold, remains an important part of that economy even today.
The total impact of the copper industry on Arizona’s economy rose in 2006 as its direct impact increased. That total impact included combined direct and indirect contributions of:
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$4.719 billion direct and indirect impact on the Arizona economy |
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$1.404 billion in personal income for Arizona residents |
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$2.990 billion in sales revenues for other Arizona businesses |
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$325 million in revenues for state and local governments throughout Arizona (Direct payments exceeded $141 million. The biggest share was paid to Arizona’s public schools - $45 million.) |
Arizona copper producers in 2006 had mining and processing operations at various locations in Cochise, Gila, Greenlee, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, and Yavapai counties that also produced substantial amounts of molybdenum, gold, silver, and other metals as byproducts in the production of copper. Arizona copper producers exported about 8% of the metals they produced to other countries, particularly in the Far East. Those exports brought in $437 million.
Arizona’s three large copper producing firms (ASARCO, BHP and Freeport-McMoRan) and several smaller firms mined in 2006:
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787,236 tons of copper and other minerals with a total value of $5.628 billion (59% more than in 2005) |
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60% of the copper mined in the United States in 2006 |
Arizona copper industry workers have among the highest rates of pay in the state, exceeding the average of $55,700 for manufacturing by 6%.
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$58,900 average annual salary |
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$480 million paid in wages and salaries to Arizona copper employees |
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$56 million paid in pensions and other benefits to former employees living in Arizona |
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$1.4 million in dividends paid to their stockholders who were located in Arizona |
To accomplish this great boon to Arizona’s economy, the Arizona copper industry used less than one quarter of one percent of the total land area of the state (0.25% of Arizona’s 72.7 million acres of land).
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The Arizona copper industry generated $325 million in revenues for state and local governments throughout Arizona, included $45 million paid to Arizona's public schools.
Everything we have comes from the Earth. If it’s not a plant or animal, it’s a mineral or made from minerals. It is estimated that each American uses about 47,502 pounds of newly mined minerals each year.
What makes copper and copper-based products so valuable to us, and why do societies depend on them? Copper’s chemical, physical and aesthetic properties make it a material of choice in a wide range of domestic, industrial and high technology applications. Copper is ductile, corrosion resistant, malleable, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Alloyed with other metals, such as zinc (to form brass), aluminum or tin (to form bronzes) or nickel, it can acquire new characteristics for use in highly specialized applications. In fact, society’s infrastructure is based, in part, upon copper. For instance, copper is used fo
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conducting electricity and heat |
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communications |
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transporting water and gas |
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roofing, gutters, and downspouts |
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protecting plants and crops, and as a feed supplement |
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making statues and other forms of art |
Copper has been in use for 10,000 years, yet it is still a high technology material, as evidenced by the development of the copper chip by the semiconductor industry.
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Copper: Economic Engine For Arizona 
Copyright © 2006 Arizona Mining Association. All rights reserved.