Data showing that Chinese imports of copper and aluminium had increased helped push up the price of base metals, too.

China's strong economic growth and its hunger for raw materials such as copper, iron ore and aluminium have provided the foundations for sharp rises in commodities prices over the past five years.

Antofagasta, the owner of copper mines in Chile, declined 2.9 percent to 1,335 pence as copper, zinc and aluminum retreated on the London Metal Exchange.