LONDON - Copper prices climbed more than one percent to snap six days of losses on Friday, buoyed by robust industrial output data from China, the world's largest metals consumer.

Benchmark copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange was untraded in rings but last bid at $6 910 a tonne from $6 809 at the close on Thursday and compared with a session high at $6 918.

Boosting sentiment was Chinese industrial output data, which surged in November at its fastest pace since June 2007, underlining the economy's brisk recovery from the global downturn.

China's imports of unwrought copper and semi-finished copper products rose 10,3 percent in November from the previous month to 290 158 tonnes, defying market expectations for a flat performance to a slight decline.

"China would be the locomotive for base metals, however lately there have been some doubts that it could continue at that pace," said Peter Fertig, a consultant at Quantitative Commodity Research. "Industrial production is still expanding, indicating that the use of copper is going to increase."

Fertig added a rise in equity markets, seen as a leading economic indicator by both analysts and traders, was also aiding sentiment.

The red metal hit 14-month highs last week and has more than doubled this year, due to a combination of a weak dollar, Chinese buying, new investor cash and improving macro data.

But copper, used in power and construction, hit a two-week low at $6 762,75 on Thursday and is headed for its biggest weekly drop since September.

Demand worries and investor concerns about the effects sovereign debt could have on the global economic recovery, have weighed on prices in recent sessions.

This week, Standard & Poor's cut its outlook on Spain to negative, while Fitch Ratings slashed Greece's debt rating and Moody's downgraded six Dubai-linked issuers.

FUNDAMENTALS IGNORED

Many investors have ignored soft fundamentals, including rising inventory levels, and fading stockpiling from China.

LME copper stocks, which rose 4 450 tons to 466 075 tons, are up about 80 percent from early July.

Analysts say if the rise in inventories continues, price corrections or pullbacks can be expected in the short-term.

"Today's figures do not change the overall picture that China's appetite for imported metals is waning," said Danske Bank in a note.

"Going into 2010, we believe that the focus will be on the balance between the sustainability of Chinese demand and the recovery in OECD demand on the one hand, and any restarts of smelters and increases in mining activity on the other."

In other metals, aluminium was untraded but last bid at $2 245 in LME rings from $2 203. The metal earlier rose to $2 259, its highest peak since Oct. 15, 2008.

LME stocks for the metal, used in transport and packaging, eased 3 875 tonnes but remain near record levels above 4,5-million tons. The bulk of the inventories are tied up in financing deals however, say analysts.

Steel making ingredient nickel traded at $16 550 in LME rings from $16 275 while battery material lead was untraded but last bid at $2 321 from $2 275.

Zinc traded at $2 323 a ton in LME rings versus $2 270 and tin was traded at $15 225 from $15 300.