Copper futures fell below $6.6 per pound on Monday after reaching record levels last week, then rose back above that level on Tuesday for a second straight daily gain as traders balanced profit-taking and weak China demand against a tighter supply outlook. Investors continued to watch possible US import tariffs, which have diverted metal from international markets into US warehouses, and the Democratic Republic of Congo's ban on copper concentrate exports, although Goldman Sachs said the measure should not materially alter global balances. China's July consumer and producer inflation slowed, imports of unwrought copper and copper products fell 11.5% year on year to 425,000 tonnes, and January-July imports declined 6.2% to 2.92 million tonnes, highlighting soft near-term demand. At the same time, the broader production outlook remained constrained by declining ore grades, environmental regulation and geopolitical risks, while copper consumption continued to draw support from electrification and the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers.