BEIJING, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Base metals fell on Friday as weak manufacturing data from the United States and China exacerbated worries about the global economic outlook and sparked more demand concerns.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.3% to $9,030 per metric ton by 0215 GMT, while the most-traded September copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange lost 1.9% to 73,550 yuan ($10,157.44) a ton.
Prices of copper, often seen as an economic bellwether, were little changed on a weekly basis after three straight weeks of declines, with subdued demand, high inventories and a lack of specific stimulus from China for its struggling housing sector weighing on the market.
Factory activity in China, the world's top metals consumer, contracted for the first time in nine months in July, a private sector survey showed on Thursday. The reading was in line with an official PMI survey on Wednesday showing manufacturing activity slipped to a five-month low.
Meanwhile, a measure of U.S. manufacturing activity dropped to an eight-month low in July amid a slump in new orders.
Investors were awaiting the monthly payrolls report from the United States later in the day to gauge the health of the world's largest economy.
LME aluminium lost 0.6% at $2,282 a ton, zinc moved 0.9% lower to $2,683, tin slid 1.2% to $29,525, lead slipped 0.8% to $2,045, and nickel shed 0.3% to $16,235.
SHFE aluminium was 0.8% lower at 19,135 yuan a ton, zinc declined 0.4% to 22,765 yuan, tin fell 1.4% to 247,220 yuan, nickel dropped 1.9% to 130,390 yuan and lead tumbled 3.8% to 18,145 yuan.
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($1 = 7.2410 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Siyi Liu and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
