According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's nickel ore imports totaled 431,199 metric tons in December last year, falling by 1.35 percent month on month and up 12.8 percent compared to December 2011.
Meanwhile, in 2012 Japan's nickel ore imports amounted to 4.68 million metric tons, increasing by 28.2 percent year on year. The value of these imports came to RMB 27.5 billion ($293.85 million), falling by 2.9 percent compared to 2011.
In 2012, Japan's nickel ore imports from Indonesia accounted for 44 percent of total Japanese nickel ore imports, with 2.06 million metric tons, up 5.5 percent year on year, while the Philipinnes exported 1.5 million mt of nickel ore to Japan in 2012, double year on year. Meanwhile, New Caledonia's nickel ore exports to Japan rose by 13.55 percent year on year in the period in question to 1.1 million mt.