According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's nickel ore imports totaled 364,378 metric tons in January this year, falling by 15.5 percent month on month and up 15.2 percent compared to January 2012.
In January of the current year, Japan's nickel ore imports from Indonesia accounted for 45.4 percent of total Japanese nickel ore imports, falling 20.4 percent compared to the previous month to 165,440 metric tons, while New Caledonia exported 121,348 mt of nickel ore to Japan in January, falling 15.2 percent month on month. Meanwhile, the Philippines' nickel ore exports to Japan fell by 3.35 percent in the month in question compared to December 2012 to 77,590 mt.
In 2012, Japan's nickel ore imports had amounted to 4.7 million metric tons, increasing by 28.25 percent year on year, while the value of these imports had came to RMB 27.6 billion ($293 million), falling by 2.4 percent compared to 2011.