Copper, industrial metals fall as stronger dollar weighs

By Solomon Cefai

SINGAPORE, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Copper drifted down on Wednesday, weighed by gains in the US dollar, which also pressured other industrial metals.

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.66% at $14,651 a metric ton by 0300 GMT. The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged 0.23% lower to 110,960 yuan ($16,550.57) a ton.

The US dollar rose in choppy trading overnight, with volatile oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty buffeting traders.

A more expensive dollar can weigh on dollar-denominated commodities such as copper by making them more expensive for buyers using other currencies.

That dampened continued support from strong buying interest for the red metal in China. The Yangshan premium - a gauge of China's interest in imported copper - fell to $117 a ton on Tuesday, but was still 62.5% higher than at the start of the month.

Chinese demand had been boosted by buying ahead of smelter shutdowns for the country's public holidays. The country's upcoming holidays are on September 25 to 27 and from October 1 to 7.

Copper had been supported in recent months by strong imports to the US ahead of a potential tariff on refined metal, though the pull weakened after Reuters reported that US officials were concerned that tariffs may raise costs for manufacturers.

"US weekly imports have pulled back," analysts from Chinese broker Jinrui Futures said in a note.

Elsewhere, SHFE nickel was up 1.16%. Prices rose on the LME late Tuesday after Indonesian nickel hub PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) said a water shortage forced some smelters to reduce nickel pig iron production.

Among LME metals, aluminium lost 0.63%, zinc lost 0.68%, lead lost 0.52%, nickel lost 0.43% and tin lost 0.38%.

Among SHFE metals, aluminium dipped 0.14%, zinc lost 0.47%, lead lost 0.4%, and tin ticked 0.11% higher.

($1 = 6.7043 Chinese yuan renminbi)