Japan's aluminum imports reached the peak of the year in October, totaling nearly 104,000 tons, a month-on-month increase of 41.8% and a year-on-year hike of 20%.
Cumulative imports from January to October amounted to approximately 871,000 tons, down by 0.6% compared to the same period a year ago. India became the largest supplier for the first time. Japanese buyers lowered price expectations so other suppliers turned to other markets.
In October, domestic aluminum product output fell by 1.1% year on year to roughly 150,000 tons, while domestic shipments grew by 1.1% year on year to 151,077 tons, the first increase in three months.
Automobile production remained basically stable and the construction industry was weaker, with the number of new housing projects falling by 0.6% to roughly 68,500 units in September.