SHANGHAI, Jul. 18 (SMM) – Inbound shipments of intermediate products of nickel hydrometallurgy totaled 104,000 tonnes during the first five months of 2014, equating to 58% of last year’s total, Shanghai Metals Market understood. 

The sharp increase in imports of the product was mainly driven by demand for raw material after Indonesia implemented its ban on unprocessed ore exports early this year, SMM believed. Import demand will remain strong as long as the ban remains in place.