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Base metals loss on strong dollar, demand worries

Costs of base metals fell on Thursday, as the U.S. dollar steadied and made it more costly to buy the greenbackpriced commodities, while lingering fears over demand from leading customer China likewise weighed on belief.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange slid 0.4% to $9,222 per metric lot by 0204 GMT, while the most-traded October copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was down 1.6% at 73,880 yuan ($ 10,364.32) a ton.

The dollar steadied as it nursed a few of its high losses from previous sessions, with traders expecting a key U.S. inflation reading at the end of the week that might offer even more hints on the outlook for rates there.

Contributing to the downward pressure were issues about demand as China's economy showed to be compromising amid a protracted residential or commercial property crisis.

The world's leading miner BHP reduced its forecast for China's copper growth to 1-2% this year, as housing conclusions, the significant indicator for copper end-use in housing, is expected to contract sharply in 2024, the business said in a. product outlook released on Tuesday.

LME aluminium dropped 1.5% to $2,458.50 a lot,. nickel shed 0.4% to $16,960, zinc moved down. 0.5% to $2,866.50, lead reduced 0.8% to $2,067.50 and. tin was down 1.6% at $32,100.

SHFE aluminium declined 1.5% to 19,675 yuan a ton,. lead slipped 0.9% to 17,385 yuan, while nickel. was 0.6% lower to 131,380 yuan, zinc trimmed 0.9% lower. to 23,925 yuan and tin fell 2.3% to 261,640 yuan.

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(source: Reuters)