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Copper strikes over 3-month low on China demand fears

Copper rates moved even more on Tuesday to hit their most affordable in more than three months in the middle of growing concerns about need from leading customer China after the newest policy pledges left market participants dissatisfied.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange dropped 1% to $9,123.50 per metric ton by 0738 GMT, while the most-traded September copper agreement on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 2% to 74,710 yuan ($ 10,270.26) a ton.

Both agreements were at their lowest levels because April 3.

There are growing fears of worsening economic situation, a. Chinese futures trader said.

Last week, China reported weaker-than-expected. second-quarter economic growth, raising issues about metals. need and stimulating a sell-off in the market.

On Monday, the nation's reserve bank shocked markets by. cutting significant brief- and long-lasting rates of interest, its very first. such broad move considering that August last year.

Nevertheless, this did little to reduce issues around need. The. market was likewise disappointed by a lack of more stimulus from. the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum last week, ANZ. experts stated in a note.

In the middle of subdued domestic intake, Chinese copper manufacturers. shipped out a record 157,751 metric loads last month,. adding to higher stocks in LME storage facilities that. weighed on costs.

The worldwide refined copper market revealed a 65,000 load surplus. in May, compared with an 11,000 metric heap surplus in April, the. International Copper Study Group (ICSG) said in its latest. monthly publication.

But with falling prices, sell China became more active. today, traders said.

LME lead slipped 0.4% to $2,074 a ton, zinc. was 1.5% lower at $2,684.50, tin declined 2.5% to. $ 29,415, nickel was down 0.8% at $16,065, while. aluminium was unmoved at $2,300.

SHFE aluminium dropped 1.3% to hit its most affordable in. about 4 months at 19,290 yuan a load, nickel moved. 0.8% to 127,980 yuan, lead lost 1.2% to 19,055 yuan,. tin toppled 4% to 247,600 yuan and zinc moved. down 1.4% to 23,095 yuan.

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(source: Reuters)