Benchmark tin on the LME was down 0.8% at $22,755 a tonne.
Prices could rise further in seasonally strong demand after this month's Chinese Lunar New Year holidays but should fall to about $20,000 towards the end of the year.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.4% to $7,993 a tonne by 0229 GMT, while the most-traded March copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange declined 0.4% to 58,920 yuan ($9,113.55) a tonne.