METALS-Copper prices slide as investors brace for US tariff impact

By Hongmei Li

SINGAPORE, July 17 (Reuters) - Copper prices slid in London and Shanghai on Thursday, as markets remained under pressure ahead of the United States' 50% import tariff on the metal and broader trade levies set to take effect on August 1.

Three-month copper prices on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 softened 0.38% to $9,598 per metric ton, as of 07:05 GMT, and the most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SCFcv1 ticked down 0.15% at 77,840 yuan ($10,838.81) a ton.

With the 50% tariff announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. market is likely to draw on its existing stockpile, putting downward pressure on COMEX copper prices and LME copper prices in the short term, ANZ said.

Among the ongoing trade talks, the U.S. is very close to a trade deal with India, while an agreement could possibly be reached with Europe, but it is too soon to say whether a deal can be agreed with Canada, Trump said in an interview aired on Real America's Voice on Wednesday.

By Wednesday, copper stocks at the LME-registered warehouses MCUSTX-TOTAL gained 10,525 tons to 121,000 tons, and the LME's eight registered warehouses in Hong Kong, which went into formal operation on Tuesday, received 5,975 tons of copper MCU-CHHONG-TOTPD, 396 tons of nickel MNI-CHHONG-TOTPD, 100 tons of zinc MZN-CHHONG-TOTPD, and 25 tons of tin MSN-CHHONG-TOTPD.

The LME has set up these warehouses, aiming to increase its presence in Hong Kong, which is the gateway to China, the world's biggest metals consumer.

LME tin CMSN3 gained 0.45% to $32,945 a ton, while zinc CMZN3 eased 0.66% to $2,693, lead CNPB3 slipped 0.48% to $1,967, nickel CMNI3 slipped 0.44% to $14,960, and aluminium CMAL3 ticked down 0.37% at $2,568.

SHFE nickel SNIcv1 fell 0.6% to 119,880 yuan a ton, tin SSNcv1 dropped 0.59% to 261,920 yuan, lead SPBcv1 was down 0.3% at 16,845 yuan, while zinc SZNcv1 gained 0.52% to 22,130 yuan, and aluminium SAFcv1 edged up 0.12% at 20,455 yuan.

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