China uncertainty, firmer US dollar weigh on copper prices

Copper prices slipped on Tuesday, pressured by a firmer U.S. dollar and uncertainty about top consumer China's economic recovery following lacklustre economic data and a lack of detail on stimulus plans.

The most-traded November copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) HG1! dipped 0.7% to 76,970 yuan ($10,855.98) a ton.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) HG1! fell 0.1% to $9,648 per metric ton by 0140 GMT.

The dollar was perched at a more than two-month high, making greenback-priced commodities more expensive to other currency holders.

One data set showed China's export growth slowed sharply in September and imports decelerated unexpectedly. While another report over the weekend noted a deepening producer price deflation, heightening pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus measures.

China pledged on Saturday to "significantly increase" debt to stimulate growth, but officials provided no specific information on the size or the timing of the package.

Meanwhile, China's unwrought copper imports rose in September to 479,000 tons, up 15.4% from August.

SHFE aluminium ALI1! was down 0.5% at 20,770 yuan a ton, nickel NICKEL1! fell 0.9% to 134,050 yuan, zinc ZNC1! shed 1.6% to 25,070 yuan, lead LEAD1! declined 1.7% to 16,490 yuan and tin FTIN1! ceded 1.7% to 263,550 yuan.

LME aluminium ALI1! was flat at $2,593.50 a ton, nickel NICKEL1! lost 0.2% to $17,640, zinc ZNC1! dropped 0.5% to $3,067, lead LEAD1! decreased 0.5% to $2,054 and tin FTIN1! eased 0.2% at $32,380.

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