China Is on a Building Binge, and the Global Economy Could Benefit

The coronavirus pandemic forced China to bring industrial activity to a halt earlier this year, but the country is revving its engines again ࢀ" and global prices of metals are reflecting that renewed appetite for growth. China consumes roughly half of the worldࢀ™s industrial metals, according to analysts. As the country emerged from the worst of the pandemic in March, the Chinese government unleashed a program of enormous fiscal stimulus aimed at building bridges, roads, utilities, broadband and railroads across the country. As a result, the prices of iron ore, nickel, copper, zinc and other metals used to build infrastructure…