According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's iron ore imports totaled 11.8 million metric tons in November this year, rising by 0.4 percent month on month and up 8.1 percent compared to November 2011.
In the first 11 months of 2012, Japan's iron ore imports amounted to 121.7 million metric tons, increasing by 3.1 percent year on year.
In the first 11 months of this year, Japan's iron ore imports from Australia remained almost stable with just a 0.6 percent increase compared to the same period of last year, amounting to 73.7 million metric tons, while Brazil exported 40.4 million mt of iron ore to Japan in the first 11 months of this year, rising by 19.5 percent year on year.