Copper prices fell because processors are reluctant to buy now, and demand on the spot market is not as strong as we'd expected.

The demand is strong everywhere. . . . It's hard to find a soft spot in their market.

There is very strong demand and we don't see that demand receding. Prices are not going back to the levels seen at the beginning of 2004.

Supply isn't going up as much as demand so the prices of metal, especially that of copper and zinc, are going up.

The market has a very strong undertone to it and would seem reluctant to surrender too much of its recent gains. Very strong and robust turnover yesterday ventures to suggest some serious commitment to the market place.

Copper is often perceived to be the barometer for market conditions and therefore a significant fall in copper prices could remove speculative support from other metals.