In April this year, Japanese ferrous scrap exports amounted to 902,998 mt of scrap, rising by 46.3 percent compared to 617,333 mt recorded in the same month of the previous year, according to customs statistics. This increase in scrap exports resulted from strong demand from Vietnam and Taiwan, SteelOrbis understands. In the January-April period of this year, the country exported 3.31 million mt, rising by 38.8 year on year.
During the given period, ex-Japan scrap shipments to South Korea declined by almost 20 percent year on year to 1.2 million mt, although the country remained the biggest importer of Japanese scrap. South Korea was followed by Vietnam and Taiwan, importing 404,132 mt and 1.13 million mt of scrap, up 99.3 percent and 145.17 percent respectively, both year on year. Meanwhile, Japanese exports to Bangladesh increased to 269,626 mt in the first four months of the current year, up from 55,553 mt in the same period last year.