Copper ended down after touching its lowest level in a week on Tuesday, as risk appetite subsided after surprisingly weak German growth data fanned worries about a faltering global economic recovery. Losses were sustained in after-hours business after a meeting between French and German leaders failed to quell concerns about the euro zone debt crisis.
In New York, the September COMEX contract fell by 3.80 cents or 0.94 percent to settle at $3.9940 per lb. Investors reduced risk after data showed the German economy slowed between April and June to its weakest quarterly growth rate since 2009.