LONDON, Aug. 19 -- The world nickel market was in a 19,000-metric-ton deficit between January and June this year compared with a surplus in the same period last year, the World Bureau of Metal Statistics said Wednesday.

In the whole of 2009, the calculated nickel surplus was 21,700 tons, including substantial imports by China partly for re-stocking purposes, the WBMS said.

Nickel mine production in the first half was 661,400 tons, down 3.5% from the same period last year. World apparent nickel demand was 97,000 tons higher than the previous year, the WBMS said without providing a figure.