MELBOURNE, Jan 10 (Reuters) - London copper rose on Wednesday, away from the weakest in a fortnight struck in the
previous session, as the dollar softened and the World Bank issued a solid view of global economic growth that supported
demand expectations for metals. FUNDAMENTALS: * COPPER: London Metal Exchange copper edged up by
0.3 percent to $7,121.50 a tonne by 0241 GMT, neutralising losses from the previous session when prices tipped their lowest
since Dec. 22 at $7,086. * Shanghai Futures Exchange copper edged up 0.2 percent to 54,910 yuan ($8,411) a tonne, having found support at
the 100-day moving average of 53,180 yuan a tonne. * NICKEL: ShFE nickel rose to its highest in nearly
two months at 100,900 yuan a tonne. A trader said he expects China's nickel imports to fall away further after the country
raised import taxes to 2 percent for 2018, from 1 percent last year. China's refined nickel imports slumped by 43.7 pct to under
200,000 tonnes in the first 11 months of 2017. * FORECASTS: The global economy is set to expand by 3.1
percent in 2018, slightly up from 3 percent last year and marking the first year since the 2008 Great Recession that it
will near or achieve full growth potential, the World Bank said. * GERMANY ECONOMY: Industrial production and exports from
Germany rose more than expected in November, prompting the government to raise its estimate of growth for 2017.
* ALUMINIUM: U.S. aluminium products makers sought new trade protections against Chinese imports on Tuesday, accusing China
Zhongwang Holdings Ltd and its affiliates of evading U.S. anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties by shipping aluminium
products through Vietnam. * ALUMINIUM: Norwegian aluminium maker Norsk Hydro can further increase its domestic output on top of the planned
restart of a mothballed facility. * AUTO DEMAND: Potentially crimping metals demand, automakers in China face their weakest year of sales growth in
at least two decades as a phasing out of tax cuts on smaller engine cars looks set to further dampen customer demand in the
world's largest car market.
