(Reuters) – London copper slipped on Monday as investors shrugged off a potential strike at the world\u2019s largest copper mine and focused instead on a raft of economic reports that may indicate slowing growth in top metals consumer China.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prices of industrial metals could take a hit early in the week as we expect both the \u2018official\u2019 and Caixin China manufacturing PMIs to have fallen in July,\u201d Capital Economics said in a report.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s official purchasing manager index (PMI) guage which is mostly concerned with orders at state-owned enterprises, is due on Tuesday while the Caixin report, an indicator of the health of smaller firms, will be released on Wednesday. Growth in China\u2019s factory sector is expected to have slowed for a second month in July amid softer domestic investment and as the worsening trade dispute with the United States clouds the outlook for external demand. <\/p>\n