According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, in the first half of 2010, Japan's scrap exports amounted to 3.5 million metric tons, declining by 36.83 percent year on year.
In the January-June period, scrap exports to China totaled 1.32 million metric tons, while exports to South Korea amounted to 2.2 million metric tons, decreasing by 56.55 percent and down 3.31 percent respectively, both compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
Meanwhile, the country's ferrous scrap exports totaled 419,785 metric tons in June this year, dropping by 5.81 percent month on month and down 58.2 percent compared to June 2009.
In the month in question, China increased its ferrous scrap imports from Japan by 20.63 percent month on month to 195,778 metric tons, while a drop of 61.09 percent was registered compared to June 2009. South Korea imported 208,220 metric tons from the same source, down 14.29 percent month on month and down 51.47 percent year on year.