METALS-Aluminium falls as Trump considers 10% tariff on China from February

(Updates prices) LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Aluminium prices fell on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was considering imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese imports from Feb. 1, inflating fears of trade tensions. Three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was down 0.4% at $2,635.50 a metric ton by 1700 GMT. Trump said late on Tuesday that his administration was discussing imposing a 10% tariff on goods imported from China on Feb. 1, the same day that he previously said Mexico and Canada could face levies of around 25%. He also vowed duties on European imports, without providing further details. A global trade war, if it unfolds, may lead to lower economic growth and lower demand for industrial metals, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. "The market will want to know more about the tariffs and China's response, and only then will we know more about the short- to medium-term impact on demand," Hansen added. China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday Beijing was willing to maintain communication with the U.S. While traders wait to see what portion of the U.S. trade rhetoric becomes real action and what remains negotiating leverage, a broad trade memorandum, which Trump signed on Monday, keeps some room for a measured approach. With this memorandum, Trump ordered federal agencies to complete comprehensive reviews of a range of trade issues by April 1. Trump on Wednesday also threatened "high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries" if a deal to end the war in Ukraine is not struck soon. LME copper CMCU3 fell 0.6% to $9,229.50 after closing at the highest level since Nov. 11 on Tuesday. Trump reversed some U.S. green energy policies but then unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) investment push, leaving longer-term demand prospects for copper, crucial for the energy transition, in the U.S. largely unmoved so far. LME tin CMSN3 edged 0.1% higher to $30,215, nickel CMNI3 fell 2.3% to $15,700, lead CMPB3 eased 0.3% to $1,966 and zinc CMZN3 was down 0.4% at $2,899.50. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Additional reporting by Violet Li; Editing by Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan) (([email protected]; Reuters Messaging: [email protected])) (( For related news and prices, click on the codes in brackets: LME price overview RING= COMEX copper futures 0#HG: All metals news MTL All commodities news C Foreign exchange rates FX= SPEED GUIDES LME/INDEX ))