Japan Copper Scrap Import Increases, Export Decreases in April

Japanese copper scrap import increased by 36.7% to 6,978 tonnes in April from a year earlier, which exceeded the latest record at 6,699 tonnes in March, according to the trade statistics by Ministry of Finance. The import of lead ingot doubled year-on-year in April, when domestic lead scrap generation was low and Japanese battery makers seemed to procure overseas lead ingot actively. The import of zinc ingot (more than 99.99% purity) maintained high level from Namibia in March and April. The averaged unit price of Namibian zinc ingot was relatively cheaper at below 242 yen per kilogram.Japanese copper scrap export deceased by 11.2% to 39,259 tonnes in April from a year earlier, which decreased by 10% to 36,314 tonnes for China. The export of cathode copper also decreased by 27.1% to 11,818 tonnes for China. As to aluminium scrap, the export decreased by 21.9% to 5,992 tonnes for China.