Bloomberg reported that copper retreated after the biggest monthly loss since May last year as China’s manufacturing expanded at a weaker pace in April increasing concern that slowing growth will curb demand from the biggest consumer.

Copper for delivery in three months declined as much as 0.5% to USD 7,021 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange and was at USD 7,023.50 in Singapore. Nickel and zinc also fell. Markets from China to India are closed today for a holiday.

The National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said that the Purchasing Managers’ Index was at 50.6. That compared with the 50.7 median forecast of 31 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey and a March reading of 50.9. Copper slumped 6.4% in April on concern slowing economies from the US to China will reduce demand as supplies expand.

Mr David Lennox an analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney said that “China slowing is going to be bad because the rest of the world is already bad. The price is reacting accordingly.”

China’s economic growth unexpectedly cooled in the Q1 to 7.7% from 7.9% in the final 3 months of 2012. Aluminum and tin declined 0.1%.