Chinese Q1 Nickel ore and concentrate imports declined, says Customs data

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): According to most recent data released by the Chinese customs, the country’s Nickel ore and concentrate imports declined during the initial three months in 2014. The Chinese imports totaled 13.1 million tons during this period, falling 8.4% when compared with the imports during Q1 of 2013.

The Indonesian ban on mineral exports has reduced the Nickel exports from the country to China. The Chinese imports from Indonesia totaled 10.1 million tons during the first quarter of the year, down 11.7% over the previous year. The imports plunged significantly during March. The imports totaled just 907,279 tons, declining sharply by more than 70% from the previous month.

Also, the country’s imports of non-alloy nickel metal also dropped significantly during this quarter. The imports totaled 38,143 tons during the period, declining 21.3% over the previous year. The Customs data indicate that imports from Russia and Canada slowed down considerably during the quarter. The non-alloy imports during the month of March alone totaled 12,053 tons. The March imports were down 12% year-on-year. However, when compared with the previous month, March imports were up nearly 54%.