METALS-Aluminium hits over two-week low as US widens 50% tariff

By Amy Lv and Lewis Jackson

BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Aluminium wobbled on Wednesday after touching their lowest level in more than two weeks after the United States widened the 50% import tariff to the metal-made products, although hopes of seasonally improving demand in top consumer China curbed losses.

The most-traded aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed daytime trade 0.1% lower at 20,570 yuan ($2,864.38) per metric ton.

Earlier in the session, it touched the lowest since August 4 at 20,430 yuan.

Benchmark three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchange climbed 0.1% to $2,566 a ton, as of 0741 GMT after hitting the lowest since August 4 at $2,558 earlier.

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday it is hiking steel and aluminum tariffs on more than 400 products that include wind turbines and appliances.

"China's exports of aluminium products to the U.S. will fall further after the widened tariff, but since the newly added products do not contain large aluminium content, the overall impact will be limited," analysts at Xinye Futures said in a note.

The base metals complex mostly traded in a tight range ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's symposium later this week that could give investors further cues on the central bank's monetary policy stance.

"A cut to rates would likely provide some support for economic growth and boost demand for metals," ANZ analysts said in a note on Wednesday.

Additionally, China kept benchmark lending rates in August unchanged for the third consecutive month, as authorities signalled they are not in a rush to roll out monetary stimulus.

SHFE copper SCFcv1 fell 0.3%, nickel SNIcv1 slipped 0.48%, lead SPBcv1 lost 0.51% while zinc SZNcv1 advanced 0.18% and tin SSNcv1 added 0.5%.

LME copper <CMCU3> rose 0.18%, nickel CMNI3 shed 0.11%, lead CMPB3 ticked 0.38% lower, and zinc CMZN3 nudged up 0.04%.

Zinc on both bourses gained ground aided by prospects of reduced supply as "a Chinese smelter planned to conduct furnaces maintenance during September and October", according to information provider Shanghai Metals Market.

($1 = 7.1813 Chinese yuan)