China announced on Monday weaker-than-expected February activity growth in the manufacturing sector, one of the biggest consumers of industrial metals.
ShFE aluminium declined 2% to 17,045 yuan a tonne, nickel slipped 2.4% to 138,680 yuan a tonne, zinc shed 1.4% to 21,360 yuan a tonne, tin dropped 3.2% to 182,340 yuan a tonne while lead lost 2.5% to 15,325 yuan a tonne.
The most-traded April copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange advanced 0.8% to 68,110 yuan ($10,541.71) a tonne, having hit its highest since August 2011 at 68,880 yuan a tonne earlier in the session.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose 1.3% to $9,214 a tonne by 0252 GMT, having hit a 9-1/2-year high of $9,269.50 a tonne in the previous session.
Rapidly rising tin demand from electronic companies and low inventories coupled with supply and shipping disruptions will likely support prices of the shouldering metal in the near term.
Tin gained 2% to $25,050 a tonne, after earlier hitting $25,125, its loftiest since February 2013, due to tight supply and limited availability of ships to transport the material.
