US copper futures lost as much as 2.4 percent early on Thursday, after a slightly more optimistic view of the economy from the Federal Reserve sparked a rally in the dollar and made metals priced in the American currency more expensive for non-US investors.
Benchmark copper for March delivery slipped 6.80 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $3.1375 a lb by 10:34 am EST (1534 GMT) on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division. Range ran from $3.1295 to $3.2045. COMEX estimated futures volume at 9,746 lots by 9 am.