RE:govt actions impacting commodity prices..In an interview a month back the person interviewed compared the PRC strategic reserves of oil v copper.
He maintains that the PRC has about about a thirty day reserve for cu versus 90-120 for oil. When it releases a tranche of cu, it takes a substantial portion of their reserves. i don't remember the numbers.
The point is that the releases are for show and there is no abiltiy to release that much, for the simple reason they don't have that much.