(Recasts, adds milestone and details)
BEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) -
China's unwrought copper imports declined in June to a 14-month low, customs data showed on Friday, as high global prices and weak domestic demand suppressed buying appetite.
Imports of unwrought copper and products were 436,000 metric tons last month, down 3% from the 449,649 tons a year earlier and the lowest since April 2023, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
The data includes anode, refined, alloy and semi-finished copper products.
Demand for the metal used for power, construction and transportation sectors was weak as China's manufacturing sector contracted for the second consecutive month
in June
. Slow consumption pushed up stocks on the ShanghaiFutures Exchange (SHFE) to a four-year peak. CU-STX-SGH
The Yangshan copper premium SMM-CUYP-CN , a closely watched indicator of China's spot import appetite, stayed negative in June, according to local data provider Shanghai Metal Market.
June's imports marked a drop of 15% from the prior month, when imports came at a higher-than-expected 514,000 tons.
For the first half of the year, copper imports were up 6.8% to 2.76 million tons, the data showed.
