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Why did European industrial countries seek African rubber palm oil and copper?

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Map of North America in 1763 using color coding to show colonial territories: the 13 American colonies in red along the Atlantic coast, other British territory in orange across much of present-day Canada, Spanish territory in purple covering most of the southern and western regions, Russian territory in green in the northwest, and large areas of unclaimed land in white. Major bodies of water such as the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay are labeled. — Western colonialism North America during the colonial period.

European industrial countries sought natural resources from Africa, such as rubber, palm oil, and copper, primarily to fuel their growing industrial economies.1

As European nations underwent industrialization, they developed an increasing demand for raw materials that could be refined into profitable commodities. Specifically, the development of the electrical and motor industries drove a sharp rise in the demand for rubber, which was essential for manufacturing tires and other industrial components. Similarly, copper was a highly valued industrial metal, and European powers sought to secure direct access to these resources to support their manufacturing sectors and maintain their status as great powers.1234

Beyond direct resource extraction, colonial expansion was driven by the desire to create captive markets for European exports. While these economic motivations were central, the pursuit of these resources was often characterized by the exploitation of local populations and the destruction of natural environments, reflecting the broader, often destructive, nature of imperial expansion during this era.125