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| Japan Increases Imports Of Nickel Intermediates As Raw Material From Philippines And So On |
| = Imported 11,879 Tons In First Half 2007 |
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According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, Japan has been increasing in order to import nickel intermediates ( HS Code No.7501-20-290 ) and the quantities ( on material base ) of nickel intermediates imported from two main sources into Japan in the first half ( January - June ) of 2007 were <> from Philippines : 10,141.5 tons ( at Yen 1,949,000 per ton ), <> from Australia : 1,737.6 tons ( at Yen 1,520,000 per ton ) and <> total : 11,879.1 tons ( at Yen 1,886,000 per ton on the average ). Japan imported 6,857.3 tons in material of nickel intermediates from Philippines in the calendar year ( January - December ) of 2005 and 15,915.8 tons ( consisting of 15,858.8 tons from Philippines and 57.0 tons from Australia ) in the full year of 2006. Therefore, Japan is on a basic tone to enlarge the imports of nickel intermediates as raw material for production of refined nickel. This steady increase of importing nickel intermediates into Japan means that the Coral Nickel Project in Palawan Island of Philippines ( to produce 10,000 tons / year of nickel on content base ) developed by Sumitomo Metal Mining and two trading companies of Mitsui & Co. and Sojitz Corp. has started up in order. The quality of mixed nickel sulfide imported from Philippines into Japan has contained approximately 60% of nickel. The Niihama refining plant of Sumitomo Metal Mining has been producing nickel cathodes from such raw materials as mixed nickel sulfide from Philippines, nickel matte from BHP Billiton of Australia and nickel matte from PT Inco ( CVRD-Inco ) of Indonesia. For a reference, Sumitomo Metal Mining produced 14,867 toons of nickel cathodes in the first half ( January - June ) of 2007, compared with that ( 15,478 tons ) in the same period of 2006. |
| last modified : Tue 28 Aug, 2007 [10:25] |
