According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's nickel ore imports totaled 479,561 metric tons in July this year, up 37.4 percent month on month and up 3.2 percent compared to July 2012.
In the first seven months of the year, Japan's nickel ore imports amounted to 2.96 million metric tons, increasing by 14.2 percent year on year.
In the first seven months of the current year, Japan's nickel ore imports from Indonesia rose 28.4 percent compared to the same period of the previous year to 1.45 million metric tons, while the Philippines exported 839,240 mt of nickel ore to Japan in the first seven months, down 9.8 percent year on year. Meanwhile, New Caledonia's nickel ore exports to Japan rose by 40.3 percent year on year in the period in question to 622,642 mt.