LONDON: Copper prices in London reversed earlier losses as the US dollar retreated on Friday but remained on track for a third straight weekly decline due to disappointing economic data from top consumer China and ongoing woes in its property sector.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange nudged into positive territory, up 0.2% at $8,250 per metric ton by 1602 GMT. The metal, used in power and construction, is down 0.5% so far this week.
“The outlook for industrial metals continues to deteriorate as concerns over China’s economy escalate. It’s a challenging environment for metals and more declines are likely as China keeps on disappointing,” said ING analyst Ewa Manthey.
China, the world’s second largest economy, is targeting 5% annual growth this year. After July economic activity data failed to match expectations, an increasing number of economists are warning that it could miss the goal unless Beijing ramps up support measures.
A strong US currency, which was still up for a fifth consecutive week amid China-related worries and bets that US interest rates would stay high, kept pressure on dollar-priced metals by making them less attractive for buyers holding other currencies.
“Further US rate hikes could add more headwinds to an already slow demand for metals,” Manthey said.
Chile’s Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, said on Friday it could take until 2030 to recover an annual production capacity of 1.7 million tons with production currently at a 25-year low. The company plans to produce 1.31-1.35 million tons this year.
LME aluminium was down 0.3% at $2,140 a ton.
On-warrant stocks in LME-registered warehouses fell to 199,425 tons of aluminium, the lowest in nearly seven months, after 75,600 tons of warrant cancellations at depots in South Korea’s Gwangyang port, LME daily data showed on Friday.
The cancellation of warrants - title documents conferring ownership of metal - indicates the intention to remove metal from the LME system. The metal can be re-warranted.
China is the world’s biggest consumer of aluminium and also the biggest producer. In July, the country’s aluminium output rose to near-record levels and imports jumped 20% from a year earlier amid low ShFE stocks.
Zinc also edged into positive territory late in the session and was up 0.2% at $2,303.5 while lead was up 0.4% at $2,149. Tin and nickel continued to nurse losses, down 0.1% at $25,270 and 0.9% at $20,100, respectively.
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