Shanghai copper prices rose on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet with China’s top trade negotiator, but London prices treaded water as investors remained cautious ahead of the final day of trade talks.
The trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies has weighed on global economic growth and dimmed the demand outlook for industrial metals. A sign of progress in resolving the dispute often supports base metal prices.
The more bullish market mood came after a first day of trade talks between top U.S. and Chinese negotiators that Trump characterised as “very, very good.”
The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was up 0.8% at 46,950 yuan ($6,612.58) a tonne, as of 0146 GMT. While three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange, used widely as a gauge of economic health, was almost unchanged at $5,779.50 a tonne.
Top U.S. and Chinese negotiators wrapped up a first day of trade talks on Thursday as business groups expressed optimism the two sides might be able to ease a 15-month trade war and delay a U.S. tariff hike scheduled for next week.
The talk is due to conclude on Friday.
“We had a very, very good negotiation with China,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters after the talks concluded. He reiterated his plans to meet with Liu at the White House on Friday, regarded as a good sign.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said that China is willing to reach an agreement with the United States on matters that both sides care about so as to prevent friction from leading to any further escalation, the state news agency Xinhua reported.
FUNDAMENTALS
* PRICES: Most metals on the London Metal Exchange dropped, with aluminium falling 0.2%, nickel down 0.5%, zinc declining 0.7% and lead dipping 0.3%.
* SHANGHAI PRICES: In Shanghai, aluminium, nickel and lead eased 0.1% each, tin sipped 0.4% while zinc rose 1%.
* ZINC: Vedanta Resources said on Thursday it would shut its Skorpion zinc operations in Namibia from early November until the end of February 2020 due to technical problems.
* NYRSTAR/TRAFIGURA: Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority has opened a formal investigation into zinc group Nyrstar, now majority-owned by commodities trader Trafigura.
* ZIJIN: Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd , one of China’s biggest gold miners, expects to miss production targets for gold, copper and zinc this year although it increased output of all three metals.