Can cp/mv commands cause high load?

Hello guys,

Can you please tell me if this is normal? I copied a 2gb backup file from one directory to another and it caused high load to the server.

First attempt is using mv. 1-minute high load reaching up to ~30; cpu wait reaching up to ~40
Second attempt using cp. 1-minute high load reaching up to ~12; cpu wait reaching up to ~45

KVM server on a leased dedi, E3-1230 cpu, 2x1TB HDD sw-raid1

Thanks.