Al Scrap Dealers Expand Sash Export from Tokyo

Japanese export volume of aluminium made sash with screw, which is raw material of secondary aluminium, surges for China and South Korea mainly from Tokyo since mid-January. Domestic demand slump and lower pricing encourage the export when the export price is higher than the domestic transaction price. The export volume is estimated to be more than 500 tonnes around Tokyo in January. The export could increase more when the domestic demand slump continues.

The scrap dealers try to expand the export when their sales volume to domestic alloyed aluminium makers drops sharply. A scrap dealer source said the sash export price is 65-70 yen per kilogram at port Yokohama while the domestic market price is 50-60 yen at the dealers’ site and decreases more.

Other aluminium scrap dealer, which usually exports used beverage can to South Korea, started the sash export in January through 20 tonnes transaction for China through trading company. Another dealer also started the export to China. The dealers enter into the export market one after another.

A scrap dealer in Saitama, which usually deals crap only with domestic buyers, started preparation for the sash export as early as in early February when the sales volume is very low level in the domestic market. Other dealer in Yokohama restarts the sash export in February.

An industry interest said the world lowest price in Japan encourages the export when China depends on export for the major part of the scrap supply and US market price recovers due to lower scrap supply under very slow industrial activity.