Improving demand from customers in Europe and Asia Tuesday led U.S. producer Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) to increase its forecast for 2009 molybdenum sales, but the company kept its annual copper estimate unchanged.

Freeport said it expects molybdenum output to be 56 million pounds, up 12% from a previous estimate of 50 million pounds but still down from 71 million pounds in 2008. Expectations for copper sales were maintained at 3.9 billion pounds for the year, of which 910 million pounds is expected in the third quarter.

Earlier this year, the company said it estimated a further cut in copper sales next year, to 3.8 billion pounds.

-By Andrea Hotter, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9413; andrea.hotter@dowjones.com