MELBOURNE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - London metals largely advanced on Thursday as zinc, nickel and lead hovered around multi-year
highs after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin backed a weak dollar, pushing the greenback to a three-year low. A weaker dollar makes commodities more affordable for buyers
paying with other currencies. The dollar skidded against its peers on Thursday, while the euro was firm ahead of the European Central Bank's policy
decision. "With investor sentiment remaining strong, commodity prices are likely to remain well bid for the remainder of the week,"
ANZ said on a report. FUNDAMENTALS: * COPPER: London Metal maybe we dExchange copper was up 0.4 percent at $7,173 a tonne, as of 0535 GMT. Prices have
rebounded from one-month lows towards the highest in a week but are still below the most recent peak of $7,312 from late December. Prices are expected to face more pressure amid rising
exchange inventories. * Shanghai Futures Exchange copper rallied 2 percent to 53,810 yuan ($8,508) a tonne. * INFRASTRUCTURE: Potentially driving demand, U.S. President
Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his long-awaited plan to help rebuild the nation's infrastructure would result in about $1.7 trillion in overall investment over the next 10 years, a
larger figure than he previously announced. * ZINC: LME zinc hit a new decade high as it steams towards the $3,500 mark, supported by tight global inventories,
having touched a peak of $3,472.50 a tonne. LME nickel rallied another 2 percent above its near 6 percent rally hit in the previous session, while lead hovered near a six-year
high. * DRC MINING: Democratic Republic of Congo's new proposed mining code, which the industry has warned will stifle investment in the copper and cobalt-rich nation, sailed through
the Senate without opposition late on Wednesday. * MARKETS: Asian stocks held near a record high on Thursday though concerns about the Trump administration's protectionist
stance cast a shadow on financial markets, while the dollar struggled after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin welcomed a weaker currency.
* CHINA CURBS: China will ease restrictions for foreigncompanies in its manufacturing and services sectors as it rolls out fresh market-opening measures that could exceed
international expectations, a senior Communist Party member said in Davos on Wednesday.
