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Aluminium prices fall, under pressure from China's rising output

Aluminium prices in London fell on Monday, under pressure from increasing output in China and challenges to the nation's economy and consumption as Beijing braces for more U.S. trade tariffs under a second Donald Trump administration.

Three-month aluminium on the London Metal Exchange (LME). was down 0.7% at $2,585.50 by 1122 GMT.

Aluminium output in China, the world's most significant producer of. the metal, increased 3.6% from a year earlier in November, while the. country's industrial output grew ahead of expectations.

Many will argue that the momentum seen in production,. where commercial output rose 5.4%, was the result of front. loading by producers ahead of most likely U.S. tariffs, said. Alastair Munro, senior base metals strategist at broker Marex.

Chinese aluminium output was also supported last month by. need from traders and producers who rushed to ship their. freights before a change in export tax rebate policy.

Amid issues that this policy modification would tighten supply. in Asia, some buyers in Japan accepted pay an international manufacturer a. premium of $228 per ton of aluminium over the benchmark cost. for January-March deliveries, up 30% from this quarter.

The broader markets were dissatisfied with slower retail. sales development in China in November, which added only 3.0%,. underscoring the troubles authorities are having there to. boost domestic usage.

The flows in base metals were controlled by threat decrease,. with soft interest ahead of the Christmas and New Year. vacations. January volatility is extremely unloved, Munro. said.

LME copper was down 0.1% to $9,040.50 per heap after. earlier striking $9,022, its lowest given that Dec. 3. Some support. for copper, used in power and building and construction, came from data. showing that China's brand-new home rates fell at the slowest pace in. 17 months.

Zinc lost 0.4% to $3,084, lead increased 0.2% to. $ 2,014, tin gained 0.3% to $29,115, and nickel. was down 0.6% at $15,760.

(source: Reuters)