Japan’s Primary Aluminum Imports Rise Despite Weak Domestic Demand

Japan’s primary aluminum imports increased by 1.9pc year-on-year, reaching 1.05mn t in 2024. This rise occurred despite a drop in Russian deliveries, offset by increased shipments from India, South Africa, and the UAE.

Australia remained Japan’s largest primary aluminum supplier, accounting for over 28pc of imports with nearly 300,000t. Brazil followed as the second-largest supplier, contributing 170,000t, or about 16pc of Japan’s imports.

The UAE and India significantly increased their shipments. UAE deliveries rose by 14pc to 107,000t, while India’s increased by 25pc to 103,000t. These increases counteracted the nearly 70pc drop in Russian shipments, which fell to 26,000t. Japan banned some Russian-origin aluminum products in April 2023.

Domestic demand for aluminum products in Japan remained subdued. Weaker demand from the building, construction, and automotive sectors contributed to this. Building and construction consumption fell by 7.7pc to below 350,000t in January-November 2024. Automotive industry demand dropped by 4.1pc to 1.45mn t, according to the Japan Aluminium Association. Total aluminum demand for January-November 2024 was 3.35mn t, down 3.3pc year-on-year.

Japan’s secondary aluminum output also declined. It totaled 637,000t in January-November, down 4.9pc from 670,000t in the same period in 2023. Consequently, Japan’s aluminum scrap imports decreased by 5.3pc to 85,000t. This lower domestic secondary output may have contributed to the rise in primary product imports, despite weakened local demand.