LONDON: Copper prices extended losses on Wednesday as soaring inflation and the prospect of more interest rate hikes fuelled worries about the global economy and metals demand, while a strong dollar also weighed on the market.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.6% at $7,378 a tonne by 1600 GMT after dropping 1.9% on Tuesday.

US Comex copper futures slid 1.1% to $3.33 a lb.

Data showed on Wednesday that British inflation hit a 40-year peak, while a US Federal Reserve official on Tuesday talked about the need for further rate hikes to contain inflation.

“What we are looking at is an environment where recession is imminent, but has not landed. We keep talking about recession and yet there is no recession,” said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Ava Trade.

“That’s adversely influencing sentiment and industrial metals are not going to perform well in that climate.” Also dampening sentiment was a firmer dollar index, which makes metals priced in the US currency more expensive for buyers using other currencies.

LME aluminium shed 0.8% to $2,176 per tonne after more inflows of aluminium into LME-approved warehouses.

Data on Wednesday showed arrivals of 82,825 tonnes, bringing the surge in LME aluminium inventories so far this month to 70%. Commodity trader Glencore has delivered significant amounts of Russian-origin aluminium to LME-registered warehouses in Gwangyang, South Korea, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Among other metals, lead eased 1.4% to $1,984.50 a tonne, while nickel added 0.2% to $21,915 and zinc gained 1% to $2,893.