The most-traded June copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange dipped 0.5% to 76,380 yuan ($11,887.94) a tonne, clawing back from early losses of 2.5%.
Iran's oil minister said on Friday the country's oil exports have climbed in recent months and its sales of petroleum products to foreign buyers reached record highs despite US sanctions.
The Chinese yuan clung to modest gains in offshore trade at 6.4757 to the dollar ahead of a monthly interest rate fixing where traders expect no change in either one-year or five-year loan prime rates.