copper futures, page-10

js, why do you say "because they are being used as collateral on loans, as much as 80% of it, so it won't be coming to market quickly or any time soon."?

Surely it depends on what the loans were for? How sound those businesses are? Not very, if they have to use copper stocks as collateral would be my guess.

COMEX and LME stocks are also both up 12% over the last two months.

It's all very murky (as is any information that comes out of China). But if it is true that the stocks are collateral, then they can be sold by the banks whenever they like. If prices fall, a speculator might hold onto them hoping for an upturn, but a bank will sell at the first whiff of trouble.