MARKET TALK: LME Copper Up On Short Covering, Trade Buying

London Metal Exchange copper continues to tick higher as short covering and trade buying boosts prices, a broker notes. Talk of a possible strike at Southern Copper's Ilo smelter in Peru underpins sentiment, while a hike in Chinese copper imports at the end of 2006 adds to the momentum, he says. LME copper is bid last at $5,605 a metric ton, up from a kerb close Friday of $5,580/ton.