METALS-Copper rises on weaker dollar, US physical aluminium premium soars to record

* Trump's planned tariffs on aluminium from Canada rise to 50% * US physical aluminium premiums soar to record high * Premium of Comex copper against LME contract widens again * US copper imports to surge in coming months, Goldman Sachs says (Updates prices) By Polina Devitt LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - Copper prices rose on Tuesday as a weaker dollar and a decline in available inventories in the London Metal Exchange (LME) system offset worries about U.S. import tariff policy, for now. Three-month copper on the LME CMCU3 added 1.4% to $9,659 a metric ton by 1705 GMT. The metal, used in power and construction, fell on Monday amid a broad market sell-off. As tariffs are bearish for copper and other growth-dependent metals in the context of potentially slowing global growth and keeping inflation higher for longer MKTS/GLOB , the market focus is on U.S. consumer price index data due on Wednesday. "With growth in the U.S. likely to slow on the back of tariffs and China (top metals consumer) already struggling to revive its economy, demand for copper and other industrial metals is likely to weaken," said Ewa Manthey, a commodities analyst at ING. Copper hit a four-month high of $9,739 last week after U.S. President Donald Trump granted exemptions for automakers from 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for one month. Wednesday is the launch date previously set by the Trump administration for U.S. 25% import tariffs on aluminium and steel. The U.S. imports 80% of its needs in aluminium, mainly from Canada. The U.S. Midwest aluminium premium AUPc2 jumped by 19% to a record high on Tuesday after Trump said he would double planned tariffs on Canadian metal to 50% from Wednesday. LME aluminium CMAL3 added 0.4% to $2,703.50 a ton. Trump also previously ordered a probe into possible new tariffs on copper which continues and inflates the premium between the most active U.S. Comex copper futures HGc3 and the LME contract. The premium was last at $845 per ton versus $726 on Monday. LME daily data indicated that part of the market was looking to increase supplies to the U.S. as on-warrant copper stocks in LME-registered warehouses fell to 136,300 tons, the lowest since mid-June, after 11,675 tons of new cancellations. 0#MCUSTX-LOC-GRD While copper stocks in Comex-owned warehouses HG-STX-COMEX are down 8% over a month, Goldman Sachs expects U.S. copper imports to surge in coming months. Among other metals, zinc CMZN3 rose 2.1% to $2,916 as LME on-warrant stocks fell to 94,700 tons, their lowest since November 2023, after 42,575 tons of fresh cancellations. Lead CMPB3 was steady at $2,048.50, tin CMSN3 rose 1.4% to $33,015 and nickel CMNI3 fell 0.4% to $16,480. (Reporting by Polina Devitt in London; Editing by Shreya Biswas, David Evans, Nia Williams and Vijay Kishore) ((polina.devitt@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: polina.devitt.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) ((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 ))