Japan to raise cap on state backing for copper mine stakes to 75%

TOKYO -- The Japanese government will increase the limit on the stake it is allowed to hold in copper mines, Nikkei has learned, in a bid to encourage investment in global copper projects by the private sector and ensure stable supplies of the key resource.

Japan's interests in copper mines are mainly in South America and Australia. With copper a key resource for building infrastructure, such as transmission wires, new investments are expected in projects in such places as Africa that carry higher risks.