Japan Nonferrous Metals Import Keeps Low, Export High in April

Japanese nonferrous metals import represented year-to-year minus for all items except for electrolytic zinc in April, according to the trade statistics by Ministry of Finance. Cathode copper import decreased by 73% to 3,437 tonnes. Import of electrolytic copper materials, including anode copper and copper scrap, less than halved.

Primary aluminium import decreased by 53% to 80,026 tonnes, which hit below 100,000 tonnes for 2 months in a row. Secondary aluminium alloy import shrank by 77% to 23,012 tonnes. Aluminium scrap import declined by more than 80%. Aluminium demand maintains stagnant from domestic construction and automobile industries.

Electrolytic zinc import only increased in April. However, Japanese electrolytic zinc export has exceeded 10,000 tonnes per month since February 2009. Consequently domestic demand keeps low.

As to nonferrous metals export, cathode copper expanded by 2.7 times to 61,189 tonnes in April from a year earlier, which represented year-to-year plus for 7 straight months. The export for China jumped by 3.1 times to 37,769 tonnes. Copper scrap export increased by 30% to 50,967 tonnes and exceeded 50,000 tonnes for the first time.]

Aluminium scrap export expanded by 3.4 times to record 24,672 tonnes. The export was 16,475 tonnes for China and 3,081 tonnes for South Korea, both of which marked the records.