LIVE FUTURES REPORT 10/04: SHFE copper prices jump on further cooling of US-China trade tensions

Copper prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange strengthened during Asian morning trading on Tuesday April 10, after a further cooling in trade tensions between the United States and China led to increased buying interest among investors.

The most-traded May copper contract on the SHFE rose to 51,020 yuan ($8,087) per tonne as of 10.55am Shanghai time, up by 410 yuan from the previous session’s close.

A conciliatory tone struck by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his opening address at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference on Tuesday has eased concerns of a continued US-China trade war.

In the speech, Xi stressed that Beijing “does not seek a trade surplus” and hopes to increase imports.

Xi also discussed plans to further open up the Chinese economy, including “significantly” lowering import tariffs for autos, decreasing duties on other products, enforcing the legal intellectual property of foreign firms and improving the investment environment for international companies.

Investors’ appetite for the metals returned strongly and Asian markets were buoyed following the comments.

“Commodities were higher… as investors pushed aside concerns about the ongoing trade dispute to focus on the positive fundamentals,” ANZ Research said on Tuesday.

“Spot buying appetite [for copper] should grow stronger as the market is entering into a peak consumption season,” analysts with Citic Futures Research noted.

But the red metal could still be vulnerable to swings due to developments in key labor contract negotiations.

Codelco’s Chuquicamata division has reached an agreement with its supervisors’ union for a new labor contract, the Chilean copper producer announced late on Monday.

This follows the company reaching a deal with union workers at its Radomiro Tomic division at the end of last week.

Other metals higher, except tin and lead

  • The SHFE June aluminium contract price rose 90 yuan to 14,360 yuan per tonne.
  • The light metal price continues to find support following April 6’s announcement that the US had sanctioned and frozen the assets of Oleg Deripaska and UC Rusal.
  • The SHFE June zinc contract price gained 150 yuan to 24,505 yuan per tonne.
  • The SHFE May lead contract price dropped 110 yuan to 18,445 yuan per tonne
  • The SHFE May tin contract price was 10 yuan weaker at 144,740 yuan per tonne.
  • The SHFE July nickel contract price surged 1,700 yuan to 101,330 yuan per tonne.


Currency moves and data releases

  • The dollar index was up by 0.05% at 89.88 as of 10.55am Shanghai time.
  • In other commodities, the Brent crude oil spot price was up by 0.62% to $68.98 per barrel as of 10.55am Shanghai time.
  • In equities, the Shanghai Composite was up by 0.51% to 3154.26 at the close of morning session at 11.30am Shanghai time.
  • In data today, we have the core and headline US producer price indices as well as wholesale inventories of note.

LME snapshot at 03.55am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price ($ per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close ($)
Copper 6,896.50 66.5
Aluminium 2,148.50 9.5
Lead 2,382.50 -2.5
Zinc 3,242.50 31.5
Tin 21,215 35
Nickel 13,550 115
SHFE snapshot at 10.55am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price (yuan per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close (yuan)
Copper  51,020 410
Aluminium 14,360 90
Zinc 24,505 150
Lead 18,445 -110
Tin  144,740 -10
Nickel  101,330 1,700

Changjiang spot snapshot on April 10
  Range (yuan/t)  Change (yuan)
Copper  51,100 —51,120 740
Aluminium 14,160 — 14,200 120
Zinc 24,630 —25,630 210
Lead 18,500 —18,700 -50
Tin  144,000—145,000 0
Nickel  100,650 —101,150 2,300
What to read next
Following an initial consultation with the market, Fastmarkets is proposing to:  The new specifications would be as follows, with amendments in italics: MB-CU-0002 Copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents/lb Quality: Grade A 99.9935% min copper cathode conforming to LME specifications BS EN 1978:2022 – Cu-CATH-1 or Grade 1 Electrolytic Copper Cathode ATSM B1115-10 Quantity: Min […]
Fastmarkets’ 2025 outlook for key raw materials and ingredients used in the production and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods.
Vale Base Metals plans to boost annual copper production to 700,000 tonnes by 2035, aiming to become a top-five global producer of nickel and copper. CEO Shaun Usmar highlights a focus on productivity, cost optimization and sustainable growth. With strong assets in Canada and Brazil, Vale is well-positioned to meet rising global demand.
Fastmarkets has corrected its fob Australia alumina index, which was published incorrectly on Monday June 2 and Tuesday June 3 due to a back-end calculation error. Fastmarkets has also corrected all the related inferred indices. On June 2 the following prices were published incorrectly: Fastmarkets’ MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, was published in error as $375.59 per […]
Mexico’s strategic role in automotive nearshoring is fueling demand for recycled aluminium, with investment in scrap-intensive sectors boosting its non-ferrous secondary markets. Despite tariff uncertainties, USMCA compliance and EV production growth continue to attract global manufacturers.
Goldcorp founder Rob McEwen is back in the spotlight with a bold bet on copper in Argentina. The $2.5 billion Los Azules project, set to become Argentina’s first major copper mine in over 30 years, is reshaping the country’s mining industry while raising sustainability standards. Positioned as a key player in addressing a global copper shortage, the project highlights innovation, persistence and a commitment to meeting the growing demand from global electrification.