Japan Cathode Cu Export Decreases by 46% in June

Japanese cathode copper export decreased by 46% to 22,656 tonnes in June from a year earlier, according to trade statistics by Ministry of Finance. Japanese smelters reduced the export when they tried to keep domestic shipment with limited supply ability due to damage by the major earthquake. The export represented significant year-on-year decrease for 2 months in a row through June.

The copper scrap export increased by 73% to 31,292 tonnes in June from a year earlier due to the stable demand in the largest export market of China. The buyers increased the scrap purchase when copper ingot market hit bottom in June.

The zinc ingot export almost halved to 1,673 tonnes for ingot with 99.99% or more purity in June from a year earlier. The import also almost halved to 3,034 tonnes for ingot with less than 99.99% purity.

The aluminium scrap export increased by 79% to 13,991 tonnes in June from a year earlier. The export for South Korea surged to around 3,700 tonnes. Under the lower Japanese scrap market price, major scrap dealers around Tokyo increased the export for South Korea with stable demand and high market price.