METALS-Most metals climb as traders gauge prospect of US-China trade deal

Adds details and updates prices

SHANGHAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Metals rose as U.S. President Donald Trump said "it's possible" for the U.S. and China to have a new trade deal, while aluminium climbed nearly 1% on Thursday following EU envoys' agreement to ban Russian primary aluminium imports in the sanctions package.

Trump indicated that a new trade deal with China is possible, noting that the U.S. once had a strong trade agreement with China, the world's largest consumer of metals, and highlighting his positive relationship with President Xi Jinping.

Three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metals Exchange(LME) was up 0.8% at $2,708.5 a ton, as of 0721 GMT, its highest point since January 20.

The Russian aluminium import ban will be phased in a year from the official adoption, EU diplomats said.

The longer-term effect on metals from the geopolitical front was unclear. Trump's administration agreed on Tuesday to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.

Russia is a major producer of aluminium, nickel and copper. The LME banned supplies of Russian metals made after April 2024 to its system last year.

Meanwhile, sources told Reuters that the Trump administration may seek to strike a simplified minerals deal with Ukraine to get a pact in place quickly and later negotiate detailed terms, such as how much of Ukraine's vast resources the U.S. would own.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) CMCU3 edged 0.7% higher to $9,531.5 a metric ton.

Zinc CMZN3 added 1.2% to $2,911, tin CMSN3 gained 1.6% to $33,205, lead CMPB3 rose 0.4% to $2,005.5 and nickel CMNI3 gained 1.6% to $15,650.

SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 gained 0.7% to 20,830 yuan ($2,864.25)a ton, SHFE copper SCFcv1 rose 0.8% to 77,620 yuan, nickel SNIcv1 climbed 1.9% to 126,140 yuan, while zinc SZNcv1 lost 0.8% to 24,145 yuan, lead SPBcv1 rose 0.7% to 17,155 yuan and tin SSNcv1 gained 1.0% to 264,120 yuan.

($1 = 7.2724 Chinese yuan)

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