Chinese imports of ferronickel more than doubled in the first half of 2014

According to the latest statistics released by Chinese customs, the country's ferronickel imports more than doubled over the past six-month period of the year. In the first half of 2014, imports to China totaled 140,114 tons, up 104 percent from 68,656 tonnes in the corresponding half-year last year.

Japan was the main exporter of ferronickel to China during the six-month period. Imports from Japan reached 33,437 tons, accounting for almost a quarter of the country's total imports during this period. During this period, imports from Japan rose more than 400 percent over the previous year. Ferronickel is mainly used for the production of stainless materials, including cookware and building materials.

Colombia was China's second largest importer. Imports from Colombia amounted to 30,953 tons. In an annualized comparison, imports from Colombia improved 1.4 percent over a six-month period. The third place was taken by New Caledonia, which supplied 27,785 tons of ferronickel.
Imports to China from New Caledonia increased significantly in the first half of 2014 compared to 3430 tonnes last year.

In addition, during June 2014, Chinese imports of ferronickel alloy amounted to 17604 tons. Imports for the month were up more than 160 percent from June of the previous year. This indicates the stabilization of demand in the metallurgical sector.