US copper futures slipped nearly 7 percent at the open Monday as market momentum turned bearish amid talk of a possible suspension of planned copper purchases from China's State Reserves Bureau. Copper for March delivery was trading down 8.75 cents, or 5.6 percent, at $1.4720 a lb by 10:24 am EST (1524 GMT) on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division.
The early range from $1.4550 to $1.5960. COMEX estimated volume at 6,536 lots by 9 am.