An LME measure of near-term supply tightness surged as copper resumed sharp
volatility. The LME one-day contract traded at a $75/tonne premium to the
next-day contract, the widest since January when the spread hit $100/tonne amid
record LME benchmark prices. The tightness largely reflected traders rerouting
several hundred thousand tons of copper to the United States ahead of a Trump
administration decision on import tariffs. Tom/next spreads widened sharply on
Tuesday, signaling short-position pressure ahead of the LME August contract
expiry on Wednesday. At one point on Monday spot copper traded $545/tonne above
three-month futures.