By Glenys Sim Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Copper, little changed, may gain for a second day as a weakening U.S. currency drives investors to purchase commodities as a hedge against accelerating consumer prices. The metal used in construction and automobiles may also gain after China’s industrial production expanded the most in 18 months, adding to optimism the world’s largest copper user will lead the global economic recovery. The country’s imports of the metal and its products fell to a nine-month low last month, and inventories in Shanghai grew last week to a five-year high. “The economic data and lower import numbers are good for prices, however the ever-expanding stockpiles are looming over investors’ heads,” said Zhang Dajiang, a senior analyst at Pioneer Metals Group. “We’re really just trading sideways at the moment as the market is faced with mixed signals.” Copper for delivery in three months on the London Metal Exchange added as much as 0.7 percent to $6,586 a metric ton, and traded at $6,545 as of 3:35 p.m. in Singapore. February- delivery copper on the Shanghai Futures Exchange added as much as 0.9 percent to 51,380 yuan ($7,526) a ton and ended the day at 51,250 yuan. The metal has more than doubled this year as the dollar lost 7.8 percent against a basket of currencies of six main trading partners. China’s imports of copper and its products declined 34 percent in October from the previous month to 263,109 tons, while inventories in Shanghai warehouses expanded 1,440 tons last week to a five-year high of 104,275 tons. Among other LME-traded metals, zinc rose 0.6 percent to $2,198 a ton, lead gained 0.4 percent to $2,313 a ton, and nickel added 1.1 percent to $17,030 a ton. Aluminum was unchanged at $1,965 a ton, while tin was little changed at $14,750 a ton as of 3:14 p.m. in Singapore. To contact the reporter for this story: Glenys Sim in Singapore at gsim4@bloomberg.net

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