Japan Copper, Zinc and Lead Imports Keep High Volume in June

Japanese cathode copper import increased by 75% to 12,676 tonnes in June from a year earlier, according to the trade statistics by Ministry of Finance. The import hit the monthly record 33,737 tonnes in May when Japanese copper smelters, traders and users temporarily increased ingot import after domestic smelter and refinery were downed by Japan Earthquake. The import volume halved in June from May. However, the import still kept high level.

The import of electrolytic zinc (rectified zinc with 99.99% or more purity) was 7,290 tonnes in June. The import represented 5 times of a year earlier but decreased by 37% from May. The import was 29,792 tonnes in April, which was higher than the annual import in 2010. Domestic zinc supply rapidly loosened and the import decreased to 15,626 tonnes in May.

The import of refined zinc increased to 2.4 times at 3,362 tonnes in June from a year earlier. A domestic zinc smelter in North Japan was suspended by Japan Earthquake. Then a lead smelter in West Japan was forced to decrease refined zinc production since the material was supplied from the downed zinc smelter.