Copper futures fell to around $6.66 per pound on Friday, touching a one-week low as a stronger U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue raising interest rates to combat inflation. Because copper is priced in dollars, the stronger currency makes the metal more expensive for overseas buyers, while higher borrowing costs could eventually slow global growth and industrial-metals demand. Supply concerns remain supportive after union workers at Chile's Escondida mine, the world's largest copper mine, called for a strike after rejecting a wage offer. BHP had earlier suspended operations at Escondida following the death of a worker. Sprott Asset Management said global mined copper output could decline this year for the first time since 2017, while disruptions at major mines in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have cut expected annual production by an estimated 600,000 tons. Demand remains strong across power grids, AI data centers and the defense sector.