Group 1 - LME copper prices declined due to a stronger dollar and rising copper inventories in LME Asian warehouses [1] - As of July 17, LME three-month copper fell by 0.32% to $9,604 per ton, retreating from a three-month high of $10,020 per ton earlier in July [1] - Copper previously planned for shipment to the U.S. is being redirected back to the LME system due to a 50% import tariff announced by the U.S. effective August 1 [1] Group 2 - The increase in LME copper inventories alleviated concerns about recent supply shortages, reflected in the widening discount of spot copper contracts compared to three-month forward contracts, which expanded to $64.5 per ton from a premium of $320 per ton three weeks ago [1] - China's refined copper production for June 2025 was reported at 1.302 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 14.2%, with a cumulative production of 7.363 million tons for the first half of the year, up 9.5% year-on-year [1] Group 3 - Other LME metal prices showed mixed performance, with three-month tin stable at $32,785 per ton, while zinc, lead, nickel, and aluminum experienced declines of 0.26%, 0.28%, 0.31%, and 0.43% respectively [2]