Copper ended down for a second straight session on Thursday after surprisingly soft Chinese trade data underscored global growth concerns, already stinging from rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions. COMEX May copper settled down 1.50 cent at $4.1975 per lb.
The London and New York markets stand about 10 percent lower than record highs hit last April at $10,190 per tonne and $4.6575 per lb, respectively. Data also showed a significant slowdown in imports, with inbound shipments of unwrought and semi-finished copper products off 35.4 percent from January.