(Updates prices at Asian market close)

Aug 6 (Reuters) - Copper slipped on Thursday after touching

a fresh 12-week high, as elevated prices dampened physical

demand in top consumer China and investors took profits after a

three-session rally, offsetting support from tightening supply

outside the United States.

Benchmark three-month copper on the LME fell 0.35%

to $14,060.50 a metric ton as of 0700 GMT, after touching

$14,178 earlier, the highest since May 13.

The most-active copper contract on SHFE was up

0.15% to close at 107,330 yuan ($15,903.33) a ton, after briefly

reaching 108,030 yuan, the highest since May 14.

The Yangshan copper premium , a gauge of

Chinese appetite for imported copper, has fallen since July 22,

reaching $106 a ton on Wednesday, indicating growing buyer

resistance as prices rose.

The pullback also reflected profit-taking after LME copper

climbed above $14,000, traders said.

Supply remained tight outside the United States. The premium

for LME cash copper over the three-month contract widened to $113 a ton on Thursday, signalling strong demand for

immediately available metal.

Uncertainty over possible U.S. import tariffs has kept COMEX

copper above the London benchmark and drawn metal into U.S.

warehouses. COMEX inventories rose to 720,140

short tons, or 653,300 tons, on Wednesday, while LME

and SHFE stocks have declined.

StoneX estimated at least 1.2 million tons of copper have

entered the United States since the Section 232 investigation

was ordered in February 2025, leaving about 64% of globally

visible inventories in the country.

Nickel sank after SMM, a Chinese market information hub,

reported Weda Bay Nickel had received an additional second-half

nickel ore production quota of about 25 million tons.

Eramet, one of the owners of WBN, said the mine suspended

production in late May after exhausting its initial 2026 RKAB of

12 million tons, and it had sought a higher allocation from

Indonesian authorities.

LME nickel fell 3.06% to $16,590 a ton, while SHFE

nickel closed the day 2.69% down at 127,460 yuan.

Among other metals, LME aluminium fell 0.14%, zinc

eased 0.11%, lead lost 0.19% and tin

declined 1.19%.

On SHFE, aluminium rose 0.19%, zinc gained

1.37%, lead added 0.06% and tin edged up

0.03%.

($1 = 6.7489 Chinese yuan renminbi)