BEIJING, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Prices of copper, typically seen as an economic bellwether, were largely flat on Tuesday as cautious traders remained on the sidelines ahead of a policy decision by the Bank of Japan (BOJ).
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was listless at $8,477 per metric ton by 0152 GMT, while the most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange slid 0.2% to 68,440 yuan ($9,586.24) per ton.
Investors are awaiting to see whether the BOJ might edge further away from its ultra-easy monetary policy, while also assessing the prospect of U.S. interest rate cuts.
In China, refined copper production in November jumped 12.3% to 1.14 million metric tons year on year, data showed on Monday.
The strong production and rising imports weighed down Yangshan copper premium, an indicator of investors' buying appetite.
It slid to $95.50 per ton on Monday from a 13-month high
touched earlier this month.
Elsewhere, metal prices were also under pressure.
LME aluminium lost 0.7% to $2,268 a ton as inventories climbed, nickel declined 0.4% to $16,435, zinc decreased 0.6% to $2,523.50, lead nudged 0.2% lower to $2,054, and tin moved 0.3% lower to $24,750.
SHFE aluminium increased 0.3% to 18,925 yuan a ton, nickel fell 2.8% to 129,560 yuan, zinc edged 0.1% lower to 20,820 yuan, lead slipped 0.2% to 15,630 yuan, and tin decreased 0.1% to 207,140 yuan.
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($1 = 7.1394 Chinese yuan)
(Reporting by Siyi Liu and Dominique Patton; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
