METALS-Metals trade mixed, firmer dollar weighs on market

By Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu

SHANGHAI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Base metals traded mixed on Monday, with a stronger U.S. dollar making its more expensive for other currency holders to buy greenback-priced commodities.

Rising U.S. Treasury yields have been a boost for the dollar, with the key 10-year note US10YT=RR hitting a more than seven-month high last week.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) CMCU3 rose 0.1% to $8,991 per metric ton by 0120 GMT, supported by tightness in copper concentrate supply.

China's top copper smelters agreed on price guidance for copper concentrate processing treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a lingering shortage of copper concentrate.

"Copper prices fluctuate as the year-end approaches. Many businesses are busy with closing trade books, and spot trades are thin," analysts at Galaxy Futures said in a note.

The most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) SCFcv1 slid 0.3% to 74,140 yuan ($10,158.95) a ton.

On a week-on-week basis, copper inventories in SHFE warehouses climbed 4.7% to 74,172 tons on Dec. 27. However, the level was the lowest seen in the past 10 months.

LME aluminium CMAl3 slid 0.2% to $2,554 a ton, nickel CMNI3 decreased 0.1% to $15,300, zinc CMZN3 gained 0.2% to $3,036.5, tin CMSN3 was down 0.4% at $28,685, while lead CMPB3 was 0.4% lower at $1,961.

SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 decreased 0.1% to 19,750 yuan a ton, nickel SNIcv1 fell 1.5% to 124,060 yuan, zinc SZNcv1 slid 0.2% to 25,280 yuan, lead SPBcv1 slid 1.5% to 16,800 yuan, and tin SSNcv1 edged down 0.7% at 243,090 yuan.

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($1 = 7.2980 yuan)

(Reporting by Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

((Violet.Li@thomsonreuters.com;))

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