According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, in 2012 Japan's ferroalloy imports amounted to 1.7 million metric tons, decreasing by 4.5 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, Japan's ferroalloy imports totaled 143,763 metric tons in December 2012, decreasing by 5.6 percent month on month and down 3.3 percent compared to December 2011.
In 2012, Japan's ferroalloy imports from South Africa increased to 370,636 metric tons, down 3.2 percent compared to the previous year, while Kazakhstan exported 332,463 mt of ferroalloy to Japan in 2012, down 10.3 percent year on year. Meanwhile, China's ferroalloy exports to Japan in the month in question fell by 11.4 percent year on year to 299,622 mt.