Copper jumps to 1-1/2 year high after Chinese data

Copper prices surged on Friday to a 1-1/2 year high after strong Chinese export data, which underpinned demand on industrial metals like copper ahead of the weekend.
 
Copper last traded at $2.724 a pound, up from the opening price of $2.656, with an intraday high at $2.727, and a low at $2.638.
 
China's exports surged 15.9% in January, up from 0.6% in the previous reading, and smashing past forecasts of 5.2%, which buoys copper as an industrial metal that reacts with China's trade flows.
 
The dollar kept rising against a basket of currencies today, heaping pressure on copper prices, but strong demand after China's data underpinned the metal.
 
The dollar index, tracking the greenback against a basket of data, rose to 100.90 from the opening of 100.68, with an intraday high at 101.01, and a low at 100.59, after drawing support from Trump's bullish statements yesterday.