Copper rose 2 percent to more than $6,000 a tonne on Tuesday, boosted by a struggling dollar and evidence that the US service sector expanded for the first time in more than a year. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose $120 to $6,040 a tonne at 0625 GMT, extending the previous session's gains after touching two-month lows on Friday, courtesy of the US employment report.
Turnover on LME Select was a slim 650 lots of copper, compared to the average daily turnover of around 2,000 lots during Asian hours. Aluminium added $23 to $1,815 and battery material lead rose $69.50 to $2,160, off a high of $2,169.75. Copper prices have nearly doubled since the start of the year, but trading had been limited to tight ranges since August. On worries Chinese restocking would slow and mixed data suggested it would be a slow road towards recovery for the global economy.