BEIJING, June 11 (Reuters) - Base metal prices were mixed in
early trade on Monday as positive sentiment over strong import
data in China, the world's biggest metals consumer, was tempered
by renewed fears of a trade war amid a lack of consensus at the
G7 summit in Canada.
China's copper imports in May reached their highest monthly
total since December 2016, according to customs data released on
Friday.
FUNDAMENTALS
* SHFE COPPER: The most-traded August copper contract on the
Shanghai Futures Exchange was trading higher for a
seventh straight day and was up 0.2 percent at 54,240 yuan
($8,467.33) a tonne at 0150 GMT.
* LME COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal
Exchange edged down 0.3 percent to $7,287 a tonne,
extending a 0.3-percent drop from Friday after hitting a
4-1/2-year high on Thursday on Chile supply fears.
* ESCONDIDA: The union at BHP's Escondida
copper mine in Chile said on Friday that it saw a "favourable
scenario" for reaching a deal on a new labour contract with the
company, citing higher copper prices.
* TARIFFS: Europe will implement counter-measures against
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium just like Canada, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, voicing regret about
President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw support for
a G7 communique.
* RUSAL: Rusal's exports and finances will take another hit
if Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska is unable to persuade
Washington to lift sanctions on the aluminium producer by late
August, three industry sources said.
* ALUMINIUM: The most traded August aluminium contract on
the ShFE slipped 0.3 percent to 14,905 yuan a tonne.
Aluminium in London, however, was up 0.4 percent.
