NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Copper futures rose Tuesday on hopes of progress in Greece and a weaker dollar. The most actively traded contract, for July delivery, was recently up 5.15 cents, or 1.3%, at $4.1250 a pound on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. June delivery copper had not traded at 10:17 a.m. A "slight bounce" is anticipated in most markets, analysts from MF Global said in a note, as investor outlook on a confidence vote facing the Greek government grows more positive. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou must weather today's vote in order to pass more spending cuts - a necessary step in seeking further aid from fellow euro-zone-members. Copper futures have closely followed Greece's fortunes, as traders who bet on profiting from lower copper prices moved to reverse those strategies in response to the more positive market sentiment, said Justin Lennon, an analyst for Mitsui Bussan Commodities. "I think it caused a little short covering yesterday and it followed through today," Lennon said of the Greek situation. The euro recently traded at $1.4372, from $1.4303 late Monday in New York. As a dollar-denominated commodity, copper can benefit from a weaker greenback since it is cheaper for buyers using foreign currency. Chinese imports of refined copper dropped 6.9% from April and are down 47% from May 2010 levels. China has ample domestic stocks and some analysts have pinned the decline in imports to tighter credit in China. China is the largest consumer of the red metal, followed by the United States. Copper is used in the industrial sector, electric wiring and in plumbing. -By Amy D'Onofrio, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-3209; amy.d'onofrio@dowjones.com

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