SYDNEY, April 2 (Reuters) - London copper climbed to its highest in more than three weeks on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake off the coast of top mine supplier Chile triggered a tsunami alert, which raised supply concerns and set off a volley of technical buying.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 jumped 1 percent to $6,728.75 a tonne and the highest since March 10, before easing to $6,669.25 a tonne by 0133 GMT, up 0.1 percent and adding to small gains from the previous session.

* The most-traded July copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SCFN4 also gained more than 1 percent before trading flat at 46,650 yuan ($7,500) a tonne.

* A major earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami that hit the northern part of the country and a tsunami warning for all of South and Central America's Pacific coast.

* Iquique is a key copper exporting port, close to the country's main copper mines. Mining companies Codelco and BHP Billiton BHP.AX said that had not yet received reports of damage to mines.

* Manufacturing in Asia and Europe finished the first quarter on a weaker note but activity in the United States remained relatively steady, suggesting severe winter weather in North America had only a modest effect on U.S. factories.

ID:nL1N0MT11I

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MARKETS NEWS

* Asian share markets were looking to extend their recent rally on Wednesday as investors chose to accentuate the positive in a mixed bag of global economic data, pressuring safe havens such as the yen and government bonds.

DATA AHEAD (GMT)

0900 Euro zone Producer prices Feb

1215 U.S. ADP national employment March

1345 U.S. ISM-New York index March

1400 U.S. Factory orders Feb

1400 U.S. Durable goods orders revised Feb

PRICES

Three month LME copper CMCU3

Most active ShFE copper SCFcv1

Three month LME aluminium CMAL3

Most active ShFE aluminium SAFcv1

Three month LME zinc CMZN3

Most active ShFE zinc SZNcv1

Three month LME lead CMPB3

Most active ShFE lead SPBcv1

Three month LME nickel CMNI3

Three month LME tin CMSN3

($1 = 6.2069 Chinese Yuan)

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Ed Davies)

((melanie.burton@thomsonreuters.com)(+612 9373 1803)(Reuters Messaging: melanie.burton.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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