MELBOURNE, Feb 27 (Reuters) - London copper prices inched towards the key level of $6,000 a tonne on Monday, with supply concerns simmering amid production stoppages at the world's two biggest copper mines.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 had risen 0.2 percent to $5,940.50 a tonne by 0203 GMT, building on 1.2-percent gains from the previous session. LME copper hit a 20-month high of $6,204 a tonne on Feb. 13.
* Shanghai Futures Exchange copper SCFcv1 rose 0.8 percent to 48,130 yuan ($6,998) a tonne.
* U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc FCX.N last week warned that it could take the Indonesian government to arbitration and seek damages over a contractual dispute that has halted operations at the world's second-largest copper mine.
* BHP Billiton (LON:BLT)'s BHP.AX decision this week to give up its legal right to replace striking workers at the Escondida copper mine in Chile is a move aimed at sacrificing some output to undermine the union's position, analysts said Wednesday. New U.S. single-family home sales rose less than expected in January, likely held back by heavy rains and flooding in California, but continued to point to a strengthening housing market despite higher prices and mortgage rates. A strike at Noranda Income Fund 's NIF_u.TO zinc processing plant in Quebec stretched into a 13th day on Friday, with no talks scheduled between management and the United Steelworkers of America union. Hedge funds and money managers cut their net long position in copper futures and options, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, showed, slashing it by 9,796 contracts to 78,511 - the lowest level in just over a month.
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MARKETS NEWS
* Asian stocks look set to edge lower for a second day on Monday as weak cues from U.S. share markets and declining European government bond yields on political worries push investors to take profits after a recent rally. MKTS/GLOB
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
1000 Euro zone Business climate Feb
1000 Euro zone Consumer confidence final Feb
1330 U.S. Durable goods Jan
1500 U.S. Pending homes sales Jan
PRICES
Three month LME copper
CMCU3
Most active ShFE copper
SCFcv1
Three month LME aluminium
CMAL3
Most active ShFE aluminium
SAFcv1
Three month LME zinc
CMZN3
Most active ShFE zinc
SZNcv1
Three month LME lead
CMPB3
Most active ShFE lead
SPBcv1
Three month LME nickel
CMNI3
Most active ShFE nickel
SNIcv1
Three month LME tin
CMSN3
Most active ShFE tin
SSNcv1
($1 = 6.8774 Chinese yuan renminbi)