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Copper retreats on issue over weak demand in China

Copper prices extended losses on Thursday, pressured by issue that the market's surge to twoyear highs was based upon speculation while physical need stays weak in China.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange ( LME) had actually lost 1.5% to $9,750 a metric lot by 1630 GMT, moving away from the two-year high of $10,208 touched on Tuesday.

You might ask the question whether we have actually leapt out of the starting block prematurely, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity method at Saxo Bank in Copenhagen.

I'm stepping back into the neutral camp. I like the long-lasting view, but based upon real, on-the-ground need, we could be at risk of debt consolidation or perhaps even a correction.

Hansen mentioned weak signals from top metals customer China, such as the Yangshan copper premium << SMM-CUYP-CN >, which shows need for copper imported into China.

That premium dropped to no recently from $42.50 a ton at the start of April, and was last priced quote at $5.

On Tuesday information revealed that development slowed in China's. manufacturing and services sectors in April, recommending a loss. of momentum for the world's second-biggest economy.

China's copper producers are planning to export approximately. 100,000 tons of the metal, sources told .

Hansen said a pull-back in costs might create a snowball. impact, triggering a sell-off by funds.

The huge concern is whether we backtrack to levels where some. of the current, quite aggressive, fund purchasers start to get. nervous, Hansen said.

LME aluminium fell 1.8% to $2,530.50 a lot.

Information showed that LME on-warrant inventories of aluminium in. LME-registered warehouses rebounded by 88,625 lots, which a. trader said was linked to recent UK and U.S. sanctions on. Russian metal.

Last month the LME moved to stop traders from taking Russian. aluminium from its approved warehouses and returning it at a. later date to profit from rule changes to comply with the. sanctions.

In other metals, LME zinc included 0.2% to $2,886.50 a. lot, lead rose 0.1% to $2,181 and tin climbed up. 1.5% to $31,150. Nickel relieved 1.2% to $18,650.

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(source: Reuters)