Base metals mixed, copper supported by tight supply

By Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu

SHANGHAI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Base metal prices were mixed on Friday, moving within tight ranges with the strong dollar limiting gains, although copper found support from supply tightness in copper concentrate.

The three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.4% to $8,990 per metric ton by 0140 GMT.

China's top copper smelters agreed on price guidance for copper concentrate processing treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) in the first quarter of 2025 at $25 per metric ton and 2.5 cents per pound, down 28.6% from the fourth-quarter guidance of $35 per ton and 3.5 cents per pound, reflecting a lingering shortage of copper concentrate.

The charges tend to fall when ore supply declines and rise when more concentrate is available.

Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index hovered near the two-year high of $108.43 hit last Thursday and was trading at $108.15 at 0140 GMT.

"The hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve regarding potential interest rate cuts next year has kept the dollar strong. Overall, uncertainties in the macroeconomic environment have posed upward restraint on metal prices," Citic Futures said in a note.

A stronger dollar makes it more expensive for other currency holders to buy greenback-priced commodities, thus keeping metals prices under pressure.

The most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) gained 0.2% to 74,290 yuan ($10,178.52)a ton.

LME aluminium slid 0.9% to $2,542 a ton, nickel increased 0.5% to $15,565, zinc fell 0.3% to $3,041, tin was up 0.5% at $28,955, while lead was 0.8% lower at $1,968.

SHFE aluminium decreased 0.3% to 19,760 yuan a ton, nickel rose 0.3% to 126,170 yuan, zinc slid 0.6% to 25,320 yuan, lead slid 1.8% to 17,060 yuan, and tin edged down 0.1% at 244,580 yuan.

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($1 = 7.2987 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Janane Venkatraman )