HANOI: Shanghai prices of industrial metals fell on Monday as top metal consumer China saw its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in more than five months.

The most-traded February contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 3% to 14,585 yuan ($2,250.25) a tonne at 0151 GMT.

The February zinc contract declined 2.5% to 21,090 yuan a tonne, while the March nickel contract was down 2% to 130,210 yuan a tonne. Both metals are used in steelmaking.

China's Hebei province, a major hub for making steel and lead-acid batteries, accounted for 82 of the 85 new local infections reported on Jan. 10, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement.

The total number of new COVID-19 cases stood at 103, the highest since 127 cases were reported on July 30.

FUNDAMENTAL

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 1.1% to $8,044.50 a tonne, and ShFE copper declined 1% to 59,450 yuan a tonne. LME lead was down 1.1% to $1,980 a tonne.

Zinc inventories in ShFE warehouses on Friday rose 22.5% from Dec. 31, 2020, to 35,008 tonnes, and lead stockpiles increased 11.5% to 51,157 tonnes, exchange data showed.