This Monday, copper in Shanghai recorded a third consecutive session of decline, profit-taking and the signs of sluggish demand in China weighing on the market.

The most active copper contract in Shanghai Futures Exchange fell by 0.37% to 101,490 yuan ($14,574.15) per ton Metric at 03:10 GMT.

The three-month copper reference price on London Metal Exchange grew by 1.16% to $12,951 the ton, after two consecutive sessions of decline.

Profit-taking continued on the Shanghai market, traders said, weak demand also weighing on copper prices.

The Yangshan copper premium, indicator of the Chinese demand for imported materials fell to 32 dollars per ton on Friday, sign of weak demand despite a record surge in the price of red metal.

At the same time, copper stocks in warehouses monitored by the SHFE continued to increase, for the sixth week consecutive, a sign of lower interest in buying cash in a context of high prices.

The copper stocks that can be delivered in these warehouses increased by 18.3% to reach 213,515 tonnes on Friday, or increase of 138.86% compared to the 89,389 tonnes recorded on the 8th December, when they started to increase, according to the report weekly on SHFE stocks.

However, copper still benefitted from support of mining disruptions and fears that the supply of refined copper should not be strained by a disturbance in the regional market outside from the United States due to concerns about tariffs.

Stock levels in American warehouses of Comex are also up, reaching 542,914 short tons (492,523.3). (metric tons) on Friday, approaching the level of half a million tons metrics.

Among other SHFE base metals, aluminum has fell by 0.37%, zinc lost 1.83%, lead lost 2.27%, nickel lost fell by 1.17% and tin fell by 5.22%.

Among the other metals of LME, aluminum and zinc increased by 0.73%, lead by 0.32%, the nickel of 2.54% and tin of 2.80%