Shanghai copper fell for the fourth consecutive day on Friday in dampened demand due to government attempts to cool China's white-hot economy, traders said.
The most active October contract ended 370 yuan lower at 25,010 yuan ($3,022) a tonne, while other contracts shed between 250 yuan and 430 yuan a tonne. Combined volume rose to huge 416,666 lots from paltry 8,212 lots on Thursday.
Contracts traded to within a hair's breadth of their daily limit-down in trade before erasing some losses, tracking the relatively small overnight loss on the London Metal Exchange (LME) the previous day, traders said.
"We're still looking at the same factors for this weak market: a possible rise in interest rates, the strengthening dollar and weakened domestic demand," said a Shanghai trader.
"But long-position holders supported the market slightly this afternoon," he added.
LME copper rose to $2,730/$2,750 a tonne on Friday's Asian trade from London's kerb close of $2,705 on Thursday.
Spot copper in Shanghai fell by 100 yuan and 170 yuan to move in a range between 25,300 yuan and 25,380 yuan per tonne, in line with the day's losses.