(Updates prices by Asian market close)

March 20 (Reuters) - Copper was set to log its steepest

weekly loss in nearly a year on Friday, as the Middle East war

stoked fears of higher inflation and slower global growth amid

surging oil prices.

The benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal

Exchange was up 0.09% at $12,157 a metric ton as of 0700 GMT but

was headed for a near 5% weekly loss, the biggest since April

2025.

The most active copper contract on the Shanghai

Futures Exchange ended daytime trading 1.12% lower at 94,780

yuan ($13,751.18), down 6.05% for the week.

Multiple central banks held rates this week and warned that the

jump in oil prices could rekindle inflation and weigh on growth,

prompting investors to push back rate cut bets and, in some

cases, revive expectations of renewed tightening.

Brent futures eased on Friday but were still above $105

a barrel, rising more than 49% since the war started on February

28.

The conflict is fuelling recession fears, leading to copper's

break below a key support level, Chinese broker Galaxy Futures

said.

Aluminium also felt the pinch, with the Gulf accounting for 8%

of the world's output.

Shanghai's most-active aluminium contract declined

1.6% to 24,020 yuan a ton, and is set to end the week 5.59%

lower.

London benchmark aluminium was up 0.14% at $3,256 a

ton on Fridaybut is set to lose 5% this week.

Aluminium Bahrain said on Thursday that it is

exporting metal via the Saudi port of Jeddah as the Strait of

Hormuz remains effectively shut.

Elsewhere on SHFE, zinc nudged 0.02% higher, lead

dropped 1.60%, nickel gained 0.28% and tin

lost 3.25%.

Among other LME metals, zinc gained 0.14%, lead

dropped 0.32%, nickel shed 0.32% and tin

declined 1.19%.

($1 = 6.8925 Chinese yuan renminbi)