Copper and other base metals slipped on Thursday, pressured by renewed weakness in China's property market and by a sharp rise in the dollar after the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled interest rates could rise faster than expected.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME), which failed to trade in closing open outcry activity, was last bid down 1.3 percent at $6,840 a tonne, reversing small gains in the previous session.

The U.S. central bank on Wednesday renewed its pledge to keep interest rates near zero for a "considerable time", but also indicated it could raise borrowing costs faster than expected when it starts moving.

The outlook for future interest rates lifted the dollar to a more-than a six-year high against the yen.

A rising dollar makes commodities priced in the U.S. unit more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Also putting pressure on copper prices was a decline in China's new home prices in August for a fourth straight month, underlining a deepening downtrend in the property market that is increasingly weighing on the broader economy.

After a strong performance in 2013, China's real estate market has softened as sales have slowed and banks have become increasingly cautious about lending to developers and home buyers.