LONDON: Copper prices climbed on Tuesday on signs of firmer demand, less disquiet over the global banking sector and hopes that the US central bank will scale back increases to interest rates.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) gained 1.3% to $8,811 a tonne in official open-outcry trading, having fallen into the red earlier in the session. LME aluminium rose 0.4% in official activity to $2,284 a tonne and tin climbed 1.8% to $23,150, nickel was down 0.3% at $22,725, zinc shed 0.6% to $2,867 and lead dipped 0.4% to $2,110.