* Strong support for copper at $6,150-$6,160

* Premium for zinc cash over 3-month at 21-year high

(Updates with closing prices)

By Pratima Desai

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Copper prices rose on Wednesdayas a lower dollar and higher equities triggered fund buying, butworries about the U.S.-China trade dispute and about demandgrowth in top consumer China are expected to cap gains.

Benchmark copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange ended0.8 percent higher at $6,235 a tonne. The price of the metal,used widely in the power and construction industries, hit atwo-week high of $6,296 on Tuesday.

"The weaker dollar and the stock market recovery aresupporting factors," a commodity-focused fund manager said.

"Fears about global growth due to the trade dispute will bea negative for all assets that rely on growth."

TRADE: Worries about trade were further reinforced after theU.S. said China has failed to alter its "unfair" practices,ahead of a meeting next week between U.S. President Donald Trumpand Chinese President Xi Jinping. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1XV1WB

DOLLAR: A fall in the dollar, which makes dollar-pricedcommodities cheaper for holders of other currencies, was helpingindustrial metals. The relationship is used by funds known ascommodity trading advisors (CTAs) which trade using buy and sellsignals from numerical models.

POSITIONS: Traders are keeping a close eye on positionsholding large amounts of LME copper warrants and cash contracts,which is fuelling nervousness about nearby availability.

This can be seen in the premium for the copper cash andthree-month contract, now around $22 a tonne CMCU0-3 .

CHINA: The country accounts for nearly half of globaldemand, which is estimated at around 24 million tonnes thisyear.

"Fundamentals are little changed, amid steady demand andsomewhat sluggish supply, resulting in a broadly balancedmarket," Barclays analysts said in a note. "We forecast China toslow but not collapse and this to lead to lower rates of demandgrowth from a very large absolute base."

BALANCE: A recent Reuters survey showed the copper marketwas expected to see a small surplus of 13,500 tonnes this yearand a small deficit of 44,000 tonnes in 2019. COMMODITYPOLL01

TECHNICALS: Strong support for copper comes in at$6,150-$6,160, near the 21-, 55- and 100-day moving averages.

ZINC: The premium for the zinc cash contract over thethree-month contract MZN0-3 hit a 21-year high of $97 a tonnedue to falling stocks in LME-registered warehouses on Tuesday.It was trading around $94 on Wednesday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1XR4E4

At 123,275 tonnes, stocks have more than halved since Aug.13. MZNSTX-TOTAL

The three-month zinc CMZN3 price closed 0.7 percent higherat $2,568 a tonne.

PRICES: Aluminium CMAL3 rose 0.7 percent to $1,953.5, lead CMPB3 added 2.3 percent to $2,006 and tin CMSN3 slipped 0.8percent to $19,240. Nickel CMNI3 fell 0.7 percent to $11,020after hitting an 11-month low at $11,010 during the session.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS http://tmsnrt.rs/2lvmIzW

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Pratima Desai; editing by David Evans, JaneMerriman and Kevin Liffey) ((pratima.desai@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 5113))

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