According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's nickel ore imports totaled 391,250 metric tons in June this year, rising by 7.6 percent month on month and more than double compared to the 170,550 mt recorded in June 2011.
Meanwhile, in the first half of of 2012, Japan's nickel ore imports amounted to 2.07 million metric tons, increasing by 33.7 percent year on year. The value of these imports came to RMB 12.5 billion ($1.97 billion), falling by 1.1 percent compared to the first half of 2011.
In the first half of the current year, Japan's nickel ore imports from Indonesia accounted for 47 percent of total Japanese nickel ore imports, up by 10.2 percent compared to the same period last year to 947,805 metric tons, while the Philippines exported 735,759 mt of nickel ore to Japan in the first half of this year, rising 183 percent year on year. Meanwhile, New Caledonia's nickel ore exports to Japan fell by 10.5 percent year on year in the period in question to 363,394 mt.