Japan's Copper Ores Import 24% Up YoY, Indonesia Is At Second Rank Now

06 September 2022

Japan's copper imports in 2021 amounted to a total worth of $12.47 billion, with a spike in the values as compared to 2020. The total value of imports for copper ores in Japan amounted to a total worth of $9.30 billion.

This shows a total rise in the value of copper ores imported from other countries in Japan by $3.1 billion, with a percentage of about 34%. In 2022, the rise in the imports of copper ores increased once again, expected to grow considerably more than the growth in 2021.

Japan’s Copper Ore Imports—2020 and 2021

Japan’s copper imports following the year of COVID-19 (2020) to the values of the ending year 2021 have been featured in the table below. The quarterly values show the highest values of copper imports in Q3-2021, with an import value of $3.72 billion.

The imports of copper ores in Japan have increased considerably, seeing the values in the table below. Japan import data shown below shows the frequency of imports growing with minor fluctuations in-between, following the quarters from 2020 to 2021.

Top Importing Partners for Copper Ores – 2021

The top importing partners for Japan in the imports of copper ores are represented in the table below. As per Japan import data 2021, the top importing partners for Japan’s copper ores in 2021 were – Chile (35.1%), Australia (17.9%), Indonesia (13%), Peru (9.9%), Canada (8.5%).

Top Importing Partners – YoY Comparison

Japan’s import values for top ranking importing partners are shown below to rank accordingly. The comparison of the ranking of all the countries shows the growth in a particular country’s exports. The taken time period for comparison is the second quarter of 2021 and 2022.

Chile has managed to still rank at the top position with an import value of $1 billion and $1.2 billion. Australia ranked in second place in Q2-2021 with an import value of $616.4 million. In Q2-2022, Australia got dragged down by Indonesia as it took the spot of second-ranking ($653.2 million).

Indonesia, which ranked in fourth place in Q2-2021 ($327.9 million), ranked second place in Q2-2022 ($738.9 million). Peru was ranked 3rd in Q2-2021 ($371.4 million), while 5th in Q2-2022 ($271.8 million). Canada ranked 5th in Q2-2021 ($307.2 million) but ranked 4th in Q2-2022 ($271.8 million).

Copper Ore Imports 2022 – YoY Comparison

The year-on-year comparison evaluated below represents the value of imports Japan accounted for and hence, evaluates the amount of growth in the imports. The time period for the first and second quarters of 2021 and 2022 to have a comparison, has been taken into account.

Japan’s copper imports in Q1-2021 amounted to $2.7 billion and $3.2 billion in the next following quarter (Q2-2021). The total value of imports for both quarters amounted to $5.96 billion respectively.

Japan imports 2022 show that the total amount of imports for copper ores in Q1-2022 amounted to $3.3 billion and $3.8 billion in the next quarter (Q2-2022). The total imports for both quarters amounted to $3.8 billion respectively.

This shows a growth in the value of imports for copper imports in Japan, with a value difference of $1.3 billion in the total import values of 2021 and 2022. The increase in the import values for 2022 as compared to the values of 2021 shows a percentage increase of 22.03%.

The important point to consider is the value of imports for two quarters shows a rise in the imports by 22.03%. This gives a presumption that if imports continue to increase in 2022, the growth might be more significant than what it showed in 2021 compared to 2020.