Japan Used Battery Export Records 16 Months High in September

Japanese used battery export to South Korea increased by 65.6% to 4,901 tonnes in September from August, which marked highest level in 16 months, according to Ministry of Finance. The averaged export price was 61.9 yen per kilogram, which increased for 2 months in a row and marked more than 60 yen for the first time in 4 months. The export volume and price increased due to the increase in used battery generation during extremely hot summer in Japan and lead price increase at London Metal Exchange.

The export to South Korea has been decreasing in July and August compared with the recent peak 4,458 tonnes in June. The monthly averaged lead price at LME increased by US$ 238 to US$ 2,075 per tonne in August from July.

Despite of the higher supply, Japanese secondary lead ingot makers still face tight domestic used battery supply when South Korean buyers resume the import. Japanese buyers would have to compete with the export demand to secure the material.