SINGAPORE July 22 (Reuters) - Shanghai copper was seen rising Thursday, chasing a 3 percent London gain in the previous session, but the upside may be capped by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke's comments on the "unusually uncertain" outlook for the U.S. economy. FUNDAMENTALS * Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 fell 0.6 percent to $6,810 a tonne at 0020 GMT, after rallying 3.2 percent in the previous session to a three-week high. * Bernanke said in testimony before the Senate Banking Committee that the U.S. economy faces "unusually uncertain" prospects and that the central bank was ready to take further steps to bolster growth, if needed. [ID:nN21165172] * When Shanghai closed on Wednesday, LME copper stood at $6,670, suggesting a rally of around 2 percent. * Chinese refined copper imports fell for a third month running in June, down 24 percent from the previous month but falling Shanghai stocks and rising domestic meant implied demand for the metal remained firm, and analysts said the slowdown in buying from the international market in recent months was supportive of a longer term rally. [ID:nTOE66K02T] * Analysts have been worried about slowing Chinese demand after the nation moved to rein in certain sectors, including commodity-intensive areas like construction. * China's gross domestic product is forecast to grow about 9.5 percent this year, the State Information Centre, a government think tank, said in a report. [ID:nBJD000032] * China's GDP grew at an annual rate of 10.3 percent in the second quarter of this year, slowing from the first quarter's brisk 11.9 percent pace as Beijing steered monetary and fiscal policy back to normal after a record credit surge to counter the global crisis. [ID:nTOE66D06L] * In the first four months of the year the copper in China market had moved into a deficit of 67,000 tonnes, from a 74,000 surplus in the same year-ago period. [ID:nLDE66K1NI] MARKETS NEWS * Oil prices were steady after Wednesday's more-than 1 percent fall, slipping after two straight higher closes on Bernanke's concerns about the economy and on data showing U.S. crude oil inventories unexpectedly rose last week. [O/R] * The euro fell sharply against the dollar while the yen rallied on Wednesday on the Bernanke comments and dampened risk appetite. [USD/] * Bernanke's dour assessment of the U.S. recovery also hit U.S. stocks on Wednesday, as his comments rattled investors. [.N]

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