Japan Anode Copper Import Increases in March

Japanese import of cathode copper decreased by 42.1% to 3,559 tonnes in March from a year earlier, the lowest since August 2007, while the import of anode copper (crude copper & anode copper for electrolytic refining) jumped up by 3.9 times at 3,994 tonnes, according to the trade statistics by Ministry of Finance. Japanese smelters seemed to increase their anode inventories before the seasonal furnace repairs during May-June.

The import of primary aluminium ingot increased by 20.5% in March from a year earlier, though domestic demand hasn’t recovered from construction market yet. The import hit the low level below 130,000 tonnes in March 2007. The import of aluminium alloy ingot increased by 17.7% in March from a year ago with steady demand from automobiles.

Japanese export of copper scrap was 40,693 tonnes in March, increasing by 13.9% from a year earlier, according to Ministry of Finance. The export increased by 16% for China, the largest importer of Japanese copper scrap, while increased by 30% for Hong Kong. The export of cathode copper decreased by 3.6% to 39,738 tonnes in March from a year earlier, increasing by 11.5% to 19,805 tonnes for China while decreasing by 24.5% for Taiwan.

See attached tables.