(Updates with closing prices)By Peter HobsonLONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Copper prices rose on Thursdayas the threat of disruption at a mine in Peru underlined fearsthat the market is undersupplied, while investors waited fornews from U.S.-China trade talks starting in Beijing.Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME)did not trade but was bid 0.4 percent higher at $6,360 a tonneat the close, edging up towards last week's 8-1/2 month high of$6,555.50.
Protests at Las Bambas in Peru showed no sign of abating,days after the mine's operator, China's MMG , warned itcould declare force majeure on contracts.Stockpiles of copper in LME-registered warehouses,meanwhile, at 169,950 tonnes slipped back towards 11-year lowsbelow 120,000 tonnes reached earlier this month. However, in China, the world's largest consumer ofindustrial metals, stockpiles in Shanghai Futures Exchangewarehouses were sharply higher at 269,172 tonnes following aseasonal lull in demand. A Reuters poll showed factory activity likely contracted fora fourth straight month in March, suggesting weaker Chinesedemand for raw materials. "The LME looks tight but the Chinese market is lookingpretty well supplied for the moment," said ING analyst WarrenPatterson.
Any resolution of the U.S.-China trade talks could pushprices higher, he added. Metals prices fell sharply last yearwhen the dispute began.
TRADE TALKS: China has made proposals in talks with theUnited States on a range of issues that go further than it hasbefore, including on forced technology transfer, as the twosides work to overcome obstacles to a trade deal.U.S. GROWTH: The U.S. economy slowed more than initiallythought in the fourth quarter, keeping growth in 2018 below theTrump administration's 3 percent annual target. CHINA SCRAP: China aims to cut solid waste imports to zeroby next year. COPPER WARRANTS/SPREAD: One entity held more than 90 percentof copper warrants on the LME. But a $5.50 premium for cashcopper over the three-month contact suggested traders werehaving little difficulty accessing metal.COPPER TC/RCs: China's top copper smelters lowered theirfloor treatment and refining charges for the second quarter of2019 by more than 20 percent, sources said, indicating a tightercopper concentrate market. CHINA IMPORT PREMIUMS: Chinese copper import premiums fellto $55.50, nearing a two-year low of $52.50 reached earlier inMarch. DEFICIT: The 24 million tonne a year copper market saw adeficit of 387,000 tonnes last year, the International CopperStudy Group (ICSG) said. Analysts expect another shortfall thisyear.OTHER METALS: LME aluminium finished down 0.4percent at $1,903 a tonne, zinc fell 0.7 percentto$2,867, lead ended up 0.6 percent at $2,019 and tin closed 0.3 percent higher at $21,420. Nickel didnot trade but was bid down 1.4 percent at $12,880.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Peter HobsonAdditional reporting by Tom DalyEditing by Edmund Blair, David Evans, Kirsten Donovan)