Copper firm gets anti-strike ruling

Copper prices in New York had their biggest decline in six weeks after Grupo Mexico SA, the world’s third-biggest copper producer, won a ruling to stop two strikes that threatened to reduce half of the company’s production.

Mexican labour mediators declared illegal a strike by 2,000 workers at Grupo Mexico’s La Caridad facility and a possible strike by another 1,200 workers at the Cananea mine, the union and company said. Copper prices rose to a six-week high on July 12 when the La Caridad strike began.