China Ferronickel Imports Surge in 2015 on Indonesian Contribution, SMM Says

SHANGHAI, Jan. 4 (SMM) – Inbound shipments of ferronickel to China are up significantly in 2015, according to Customs data. 

According to the data, China imported 626,000 tonnes of ferronickel during the first 11 months of 2015, up 145.35 per cent on a yearly basis.  

“Falling output in China and import profits are two major reasons behind the surge in imports,” SMM nickel analyst explains. 

NPI output in China, measured by nickel content, is expected to fall by around 15 percent in 2015, SMM estimates, due to production cuts from sluggish prices, growing demand for imports.  

Indonesia becomes one of major suppliers of imported ferronickel, and during the first 11 months of 2015, imports from the country surged by 9,229.06 percent. 

The ore export ban imposed by the country since early 2014 has promoted the development of local nickel smelting capacity, and some NPI projects invested by Chinese producers have come online in 2015. 

According to SMM survey, Indonesia is expected to commence 98,000 tonnes of ferronickel capacity (Ni content) in 2015, with output around 20,500 tonnes of nickel. 

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