Aluminum

Base metal prices plunged early Friday, with three-month benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange recently -3.7% at $8,985.50/metric ton and three-month aluminum  -1.4% at $2,422.50/ton, as President Trump’s worse than expected tariffs trigger global growth slowdown fears, sparking a selloff in industrial metals and mining equities.

Copper and aluminum have dropped 8.7% and 7.7%, respectively, so far this week, as the tariffs drag down demand forecasts

Trump hit China with a 34% “reciprocal” tariff on top of existing duties, and China announced Friday that it will likewise impose 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods starting April 10.

“While we remain structurally bullish copper in the long run, weaker global GDP and copper demand growth risk delaying the deficit we expect to see in the market this year,” Goldman Sachs wrote.

Source – Seeking Alpha

Copper prices drifted higher on Wednesday as investors waited for details of U.S. reciprocal tariffs, but tin extended a rally to its highest in nearly three years on supply fears.

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 0.2% at $9,711 a metric ton by 0953 GMT after slipping to its weakest in three weeks at $9,668.50.

“Investors are confused, they’re uncertain about the outlook. It’s mostly tariff-related, although there’s also global conflict, currency debasement and confusion around central bank policy,” said Tom Price, head of commodities strategy at Panmure Liberum.

“Aluminium gives you an insight into what copper might do. It has gone through the first phase of factoring in the cost of tariffs and now it’s going into the second phase, where demand is deteriorating,” Price said.

Source – Business Recorder