Copper imports increase by 53% in March

BEIJING - China's copper imports rose for a second month in March as seasonal demand led to increased orders.

Shipments of refined copper were 337,125 tons last month, the customs said on Wednesday. That's 53 percent more than February and 14 percent more than in the same period of 2009, according to calculations by Bloomberg.

"Traders continue to ship in the metal in anticipation of demand despite Shanghai prices having traded weaker than London," said Zhang Sida, an analyst at Dalu Futures Co.