Middle East shock spares metals from worst but risks deepen

Something bad happened in the Middle East that could have hurt the companies that dig up metal from the ground.

Worried experts thought that a metal called aluminium would be very hard to find, with millions of tonnes missing.

It turns out things were not that bad, and now they think only about 900,000 tonnes will be missing.

This is because companies learned how to stay strong after other big problems, like the Covid-19 pandemic.

But there are still worries.

Half of the world's sulphur, which is used to make some metals, cannot be delivered.

Making steel is getting harder, and making things costs more money.

Another metal called copper should have extra supply this year, but prices are still high.

The experts say the next big thing to watch is the US mid-term elections.