By Anna Stablum

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Nickel, this year’s best performer on the London Metal Exchange, dropped for the first time in four days as the dollar strengthened and on concern that China, the biggest consumer, will seek to curb economic growth.

The U.S. Dollar Index, a six-currency gauge, rose for the first time in three days, making dollar-priced metals more expensive to other currency holders. Chinese consumer prices rose the most in 18 months, spurring speculation the government will raise borrowing costs. China uses about 30 percent of the world’s nickel, according to Deutsche Bank AG.

Global production will jump 6.8 percent, the most since 2000, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Vale SA’s $4.3 billion Goro mine in New Caledonia is scheduled to start this year. China more than tripled first-quarter production of cheaper nickel pig iron, according to Shanghai Metals Market.

“In the short term, the physical markets remain tight, but increasing production of nickel pig iron in China has put the brakes on the recent rally,” Randy North, a trader at RBC Capital Markets, said by phone from New York. “Dollar strength and general weakness in the rest of the base metals complex isn’t helping matters either.”

Nickel for delivery in three months dropped as much as 5.2 percent to $21,820 a metric ton. The metal, mainly used in stainless steel, was down 1.7 percent at $22,625 at 4:16 p.m. in London, paring this year’s gain to 22 percent.

“Nickel prices, over the next 3 months, should be trading in a $22,000-$24,000 range,” Michael Jansen, an analyst at JPMorgan Securities Ltd. in London, said in an e-mail.

“Robust stainless steel melt rates continue to ensure moderate LME stock declines in a short-term supply constrained market,” he wrote. Stockpiles in London Metal Exchange- monitored warehouses declined 0.2 percent to 143,874 tons.

Inventories have fallen 9 percent this year after doubling last year. Copper, aluminum, zinc and tin all fell.

--Editors: Stuart Wallace, Dan Weeks

To contact the reporter on the story: Anna Stablum in London at astablum@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stuart Wallace at swallace6@bloomberg.net.

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