In this Australian Investors Podcast episode, Owen Rask sits down with Justin Lin from Global X to unpack why commodities may be moving from ignored to essential again. Rather than treating gold, copper or lithium as short-term geopolitical trades, Justin explains why the bigger story is a mix of underinvestment, supply-chain fragility and a fresh wave of demand from AI, electrification and energy security.
They break down why investors have mostly ignored commodities for the past decade, what changed after years of weak demand and excess supply, and why today’s backdrop looks different. Owen and Justin also tackle the question many investors are asking right now: is this just about war headlines, or are commodities becoming structurally more important as countries chase domestic supply, power reliability and strategic independence?
The conversation explores gold’s resilience, the role copper could play as grids and data centres expand, and why lithium and battery technology may still matter even after the sector’s rough patch. Justin also shares practical ETF ideas for researching the theme, including WIRE for copper, ACDC for battery tech and lithium, and BCOM for broad commodities exposure. If you want a clearer framework for commodities, inflation protection and AI-driven energy demand, this is a timely listen.
