* GRAPHIC-2018 asset returns: (Adds closing prices)By Maytaal AngelLONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Copper slipped on Wednesday asinvestors shrugged off upbeat comments from U.S. PresidentDonald Trump about a potential trade deal with China, while thedollar hovered near a one-month peak against its peers.
Trump said he would intervene in the Justice Department'scase against a top executive at China's Huawei Technologies ifdoing so would help close a trade deal."Even when you get a glimmer of good news it can easily bereversed by a tweet. Until a trade deal is signed, markets aregoing to be 'glass half empty'. Also some economic data isbeginning to look a bit tired," said William Adams, head ofresearch at Fastmarkets."That said, underlying (supply) fundamentals for copper arestrong and going to improve next year," he added.The dollar steadied near a month high, with the FederalReserve widely expected to raise interest rates at its upcomingmeeting. U.S. rates may be nearing a peak, but relative ratedifferentials still offer some support for the dollar. A stronger dollar makes dollar-priced metals more expensiveto import for countries using other currencies.
* COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange(LME) ended down 0.5 percent at $6,140 a tonne, headingfor falls of around 15 percent this year despite decade-lowstocks at LME warehouses.
* COPPER SHORT POSITIONS: Copper is showing a marginal netspeculative short or sell position of 1.2 percent of openinterest, according to estimates from broker Marex Spectron.
* STEEL: Chinese steel prices ended three days of losses toedge higher, with top steelmaking city Tangshan planning furtherproduction cuts this month as it races to meet its air qualitytarget this year.
* ALUMINIUM: For a column on U.S. tariffs failing to dentChinese aluminium export surge, click:
* ALUMINIUM OUTPUT: "U.S. production is expected to climb 67percent this year, as new aluminium expansion projects comeonline ... adding to a globally oversupplied market," said SPAngel in a note, quoting the Economic Policy Institute thinktank.
* LEAD: Fitch revised down its LME lead forecast for2019 to $2,350 a tonne from $2,450 as prices have underperformedin the second half, with long-term prices to fall on weakerglobal demand and surpluses.
* METALS PRICES: Aluminium ended flat at $1,939 atonne, steelmaking raw material zinc closed down 0.8percent at $2,570, lead ended up 0.1 percent at $1,976,tin closed up 1.1 percent at $19,325. Stainlesssteelmaking ingredient nickel ended 0.2 percent higherat $10,795 a tonne.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Jane Merrimanand David Evans)