Copper futures ended higher on Monday as the world’s top metal consumer China’s manufacturing activity grew in May. Moreover, the United States proposed a 6 trillion-dollar budget plan to ramp up spending on several sectors including infrastructure that raised worries of shortage in global metals and thereby fuel copper demand. Copper prices improved further as a strike by a union of remote operations workers at BHP's Escondida and Spence copper mines in Chile disrupted supply.
Copper futures for July delivery gained $0.0145 to settle at $4.6775 a pound on the Comex metals division of New York Mercantile Exchange. Copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.36 percent at $10,258 a ton.