Shanghai nonferrous metals closed mostly with gains in day trading. On the evening of January 18, the US retailed sales monthly rate stood at -1.1% in December, below the previous reading of -0.6%. Hence the US dollar index dropped.

Shanghai copper inched down 0.03%, aluminium rose 1.38%, lead fell 0.46%, zinc added 0.31%, tin grew 0.79%, and nickel climbed 4.63%.