Aluminum Stockpiles in Japan Decline for Third Month

(Bloomberg)--Aluminum stockpiles in Japan dropped 7 percent in November, the third straight monthly decline, trading company Marubeni Corp. said today.

Inventories held in Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka ports dropped to 210,000 metric tons at the end of last month from 225,800 tons as of Oct. 31, according to Marubeni, Japan’s largest importer of the metal used in cars and houses. It was the smallest volume in four months.

Inventories fell to 169,900 tons in September last year, the lowest level since Marubeni began compiling data in June 1995, after importers slashed the volume of purchases on expectation that demand would weaken amid an economic slump.

A breakdown of the Japanese stockpiles data follows:

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                  Yokohama    Nagoya    Osaka    Total
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Nov. 30, 2010     100,900     96,100    13,000   210,000
Oct. 31, 2010     112,100    100,700    13,000   225,800
Nov. 30, 2009      81,500     87,000    12,000   180,500
(Figures are in metric tons.)