By Vivian Ni

Oct. 24 – The debt crisis in Europe as well as the struggling economy in the United States may cloud the prospect of China’s demand for copper, which is usually regarded as an important indicator for global copper market prices, a recent Reuters poll shows.

Global consumption may decline
The survey, conducted by 10 analysts two weeks ago, shows an average estimation of 6.3 percent growth in real Chinese copper demand (excluding the demand for stockpiling) in 2012, down from the previous forecast of a 7 percent to 9 percent increase next year. Continue reading →