Copper prices edge down in Asia

Copper prices inched lower on Tuesday as caution over the metal's demand prospects offset a weak dollar, and speculative interest that had helped fuel the earlier rally faded away. Metals and mining industry executives at the annual London Metals Exchange week were less than glowing about the outlook for copper. Shanghai's benchmark third-month copper futures contract ended down 0.2 percent to 48,980 yuan a tonne, with a narrow trading range of 450 yuan.
Three-month copper futures contract on the London Metal Exchange fell $25 to $6,250 a tonne by 0703 GMT. LME aluminium fell $21 to $1,926 a tonne, easing from a near one-month high of $1,958 reached in the previous session. Shanghai aluminium edged up 0.2 percent to 14,925 yuan.