By Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu

SHANGHAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) -Base metal prices fell on Thursday after the Federal Reserve signalled a slower pace of U.S. interest rate cuts next year, strengthening the dollar.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) CMCU3 fell 1% to $8,942 per metric ton by 0135 GMT.

The dollar index =USDhovered close to a two-year peak, making it more expensive for other currency holders to buy greenback-priced commodities.

On Wednesday, the U.S. central bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell stating that future cuts hinge on reducing high inflation, hinting at economic changes under the Trump administration.

The most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SCFcv1 was down 0.2% at73,900 yuan ($10,127.45) a ton.

LME aluminium CMAL3 fell 0.4% to$2,518 a ton, zinc CMZN3 fell 0.6%to $2,976, lead CMPB3 eased 0.5% to $1,972, tin CMSN3 slid 1.6%to $28,650,while nickel CMNI3 dipped 0.5%to $15,435.

SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 slipped 0.2%to 19,875 yuan a ton, tin SSNcv1 was down 1.6%at 241,850 yuan, nickel SNIcv1 slid 0.9% to 123,180 yuan, while zinc SZNcv1 shed 1.1%to 25,130yuan and lead SPBcv1 was 1.2%lower at 17,375 yuan.

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($1 = 7.2970 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Reporting by Violet Li and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Eileen Soreng

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