According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's ferrous scrap exports totaled 478,630 metric tons in August this year, rising by 7.4 percent month on month and down 34.35 percent compared to August 2009.
In the month in question, China decreased its ferrous scrap imports from Japan by 15.35 percent month on month to 223,495 metric tons, while a drop of 36.13 percent was registered compared to August 2009. South Korea imported 193,161 metric tons from the same source, up 31.58 percent month on month and down 42.22 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in the January-August period of 2010, Japan's scrap exports amounted to 4.43 million metric tons, declining by 37.97 percent year on year.
In the first eight months of this year, Japanese scrap exports to China totaled 1.81 million metric tons, while exports to South Korea amounted to 2.36 million metric tons, decreasing by 54.15 percent and down 11.58 percent respectively, both compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.