METALS-London copper edges lower as dollar firms on US tariff uncertainty

NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - London copper prices inched lower on Thursday, tracking a firmer dollar as uncertainty lingered around U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) CMCU3 edged 0.2% lower to $9,442 a metric ton as of 0211 GMT, after rising in the previous session. The U.S. dollar firmed above an 11-week trough as vague pledges from Trump to impose tariffs on Europe, and further delays to levies planned for Canada and Mexico stoked uncertainty. USD/ A stronger dollar makes commodities priced in the U.S. currency more expensive for buyers using other currencies. "Looking ahead, March will be a tariff-packed period for the markets, as a hike in aluminum, steel and general "reciprocal" tariffs are all on deck," said Marex consultant Edward Meir. "We sense further turbulence as these U.S. tariff increases will almost certainly be matched by America's trading partners, darkening global growth prospects." Among other metals, LME aluminium CMAL3 was down 0.2% to $2,628, LME zinc CMZN3 added 0.1% at $2,814, nickel CMNI3 was largely flat at $15,590, lead CMPB3 lost 0.3% to $2,004.5, while tin CMSN3 fell 1.05% to $32,065. SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 was down 0.2% to 20,565 yuan ($2,831.79) a ton, SHFE copper SCFcv1 eased 0.2% to 77,020 yuan, zinc SZNcv1 slid 0.1% to 23,545 yuan, nickel SNIcv1 gained 0.9% to 125,220 yuan, lead SPBcv1 was up 0.1% to 17,160 yuan and tin SSNcv1 dropped 3.2% to 255,220 yuan. ($1 = 7.2622 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Neha Arora; Editing by Varun H K) ((neha.dasgupta@thomsonreuters.com;)) (( 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 ))