According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's nickel ore imports totaled 507,102 metric tons in April this year, rising slightly by 0.4 percent month on month and up 40.35 percent compared to April 2012.
In the first four months of the year, Japan's nickel ore imports amounted to 1.7 million metric tons, increasing by 31 percent year on year.
In the first four months of the current year, Japan's nickel ore imports from Indonesia accounted for 51 percent of total Japanese nickel ore imports, rising 37 percent compared to the same period of the previous year to 875,030 metric tons, while the Philippines exported 483,862 mt of nickel ore to Japan in the first four months, rising 12.5 percent year on year. Meanwhile, New Caledonia's nickel ore exports to Japan rose by 47.7 percent year on year in the period in question to 371,555 mt.