METALS-Metals in tight ranges amid Trump tariff uncertainty

SHANGHAI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Most base metals traded in narrow ranges on Friday as investors looked for clarity on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff and policy plans.

Three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange (LME) gained 0.1% to $9,238 a metric ton by 0208 GMT.

Alcoa AA.N will likely send its Australian aluminium output to the U.S. if Washington imposes tariff on Canadian imports, the aluminium producer's CEO William Oplinger said on Thursday.

"If there is 25% tariff on Canadian metal, and only 10% on non-Canadian metal, that differential will attract metal into the U.S. from the Middle East and India," Oplinger told Reuters.

Alcoa would also likely reroute its Canada-made aluminium to Europe to avoid any potential tariff, Oplinger said.

Early this week, Trump said his administration was discussing imposing a 10% tariff on imports from China starting Feb. 1, the same day that he previously said Mexico and Canada would face levies of around 25%. He also vowed duties on European imports, without providing further details.

On Thursday, Trump said he would demand that interest rates drop immediately, and that other countries should follow suit.

The dollar index steadied at 108.12, below the 26-month high of 110.17 touched last week. A stronger dollar makes greenback-priced commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

"We are currently focusing primarily on Trump's potential tariff policy, but it's not clear what he will do next," a trader said.

The most-active copper contract on the SHFE SCFcv1 rose 0.3% to 75,410 yuan ($10,359.23) a ton.

LME aluminium CMAL3 rose 0.1% to $2,627, tin CMSN3 lost 0.4% to $29,780, nickel CMNI3 fell 0.7% to $15,560, lead CMPB3 gained 0.6% to $1,961 and zinc CMZN3 rose 0.4% to $2,857.

SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 rose 0.1% to 20,205 yuan a ton, nickel SNIcv1 fell 1.2% to 123,460 yuan, zinc SZNcv1 slid 0.4% to 23,770 yuan, lead SPBcv1 lost 0.4% to 16,800 yuan and tin SSNcv1 eased 0.9% to 246,650 yuan.

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