Copper plunged more than 5% to trade below $9 000 a ton, in the biggest drop since July 2022, as worries over the impact of a worsening trade war sparked a heavy selloff in industrial metals and mining equities. The bellwether metal slumped as much as 5.1% to $8,890.50 a ton in London, extending a heavy selloff seen on Thursday after sweeping tariffs from US President Donald Trump triggered a rout in global financial markets. Losses accelerated across the industrial metals markets on Friday after China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that Beijing will retaliate with a 34% tariff on all imports from the US ... (full story)