SINGAPORE  - Most industrial metals climbed on Monday on better-than-expected data from major consumer China, while nickel prices were boosted by worries that Indonesia will resume an ore export ban in 2022.

China's June industrial output climbed 6.3% from a year earlier, beating a 5.2% forecast, while January-June fixed-asset investment rose 5.8% from the same period last year, surpassing a 5.5% increase forecast by analysts.

"This is a big relief. It seems that the government's support has eventually had some positive impact on the economy, especially in the seasonally weak month of June," said analyst Helen Lau of Argonaut Securities.

"A big overhang for copper is demand, and now we see some demand recovery," she said.

China's growth in April-June, however, slowed to 6.2% from a year earlier, the weakest in at least 27 years and in line with expectations, but Lau said the number is actually positive as the government "was ready for numbers even below 6%."

"(GDP growth) may be weak historically, but it's ... slightly positive from my view; (6.2%) is priced in. The 6% 30 years ago is nothing compared with 6% now," said a Singapore-based trader.

FUNDAMENTALS

COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.9% at $5,988.50, as of 0335 GMT, while Shanghai copper jumped as much as 0.8% to a two-week high of 47,010 yuan ($6,836.92) a tonne.

NICKEL: Shanghai nickel surged as much as 3.1% to 106,620 yuan a tonne, its highest since Sept. 3, 2018, while London nickel advanced 0.6% to 13,550 yuan a tonne, hovering around a four-month high.

INDONESIA: Investors were concerned of nickel supply amid fresh reports that Indonesia, a major producer of nickel ore used in the stainless steel industry, would stick to its plan to re-impose an ore export ban from 2022.

"Indonesian nickel ore export ban stoked fears of supply tightness, though the ban is for 2022 and will not impact immediate availability of the metal ore," said ANZ in a note.

PRICES: London aluminium advanced 0.6%, while zinc eased 0.1% and lead dipped 0.1%. In Shanghai, aluminium climbed 0.7%, zinc rose 0.8%, while lead edged down 0.1%.

CHINA ALUMINIUM: China's daily aluminium output hit record levels in June, according to Reuters calculations, even as total production for the whole of the month fell slightly, official data showed.

RARE EARTHS: The Pentagon is rapidly assessing the United States' rare earths capability in a race to secure stable supply of the specialized material amid the country's trade conflict with China, according to a government document seen by Reuters.

PRICES

Three month LME copper

Most active ShFE copper

Three month LME aluminium

Most active ShFE aluminium

Three month LME zinc

Most active ShFE zinc

Three month LME lead

Most active ShFE lead

Three month LME nickel

Most active ShFE nickel

Three month LME tin

Most active ShFE tin

ARBS ($1 = 6.8759 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

© Reuters News 2019