According to preliminary customs data, Japan’s ferrous scrap exports reached 6.05 million mt in the January to October 2018 period.
During the period, Japan exported 3.37 million mt (56 percent) to South Korea, 1.28 million mt (21 percent) to Vietnam, 0.83 million mt (14 percent) to China, 0.37 million mt (6 percent) to Taiwan, 0.08 million (1 percent) to Bangladesh, 0.05 million mt (1 percent) to Indonesia, and 0.07 (1 percent) to other destinations.
Japan reportedly exported 8.05 million mt of ferrous scrap in 2017. The monthly rate was 0.67 million mt in 2017 compared to 0.61 million mt for the first ten months in 2018. At the present monthly rate, it is estimated for Japan to export approximately 7.32 million mt in 2018, 12 percent lower than a year ago.