An indicator of copper import demand in top consumer China jumped 38% on Wednesday, suggesting robust appetite for the metal, after U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for a 50% import tariff drove down benchmark prices in London.

Donald Trump's mooted 50% tariff on copper imports into America has sharply exacerbated what was already a dislocation between New York and London prices for the metal. The chart shows that since Trump's inauguration traders have been placing a greater premium on the COMEX contract,

Prices for the metal hit a record high after the president suggested a higher rate than many analysts were expecting.