By
The spending is to replenish inventories and "will focus on aluminium and copper purchases and adding a small volume of tin, but we have sufficient inventories of nickel, lead and zinc," an official at the agency told Reuters by phone, declining to break down the purchase plans by metal. Metal prices are expected to stay weak in the first half but strengthen in the second, and price volatility could rise due to issues such as the euro zone debt crisis, the agency said in a statement.