Korea’s lead battery scrap import from Japan slowed down to 6,684tons in October (refer to the table below)

The 6,000’s tons has recorded for the first time since January this year, 6.4% decrease year-to-year and 25.8% decrease from the last month.

 (Trend of Korea’s lead battery scrap import from Japan)

Regarding import decrease at Korea end and export decrease at Japan end.

A major lead smelter in Kansai district presumes “ It implies that the export ceiling for Korea has been consumed so much. In fact we have received increasing sell offer from exporters who previously were cool enough to us. We see export in December may decrease considerably” It is said the company usually running production of bullion procuring 1,000 tons of lead battery scrap monthly has faced recently easy availability of scrap.

 
The company also said “ The exporters initially offered JPY130/kg ( battery for automotive, the same hereafter) but they provided second offers against our immediate refusal, for which we decided to buy at JPY125. However buying price would fall further as export is shrinking. While just now buying price of primary domestic smelters is higher than that of Korea’s, we presume the picture would reverse in December.”

It appears that T company in Western Japan scheduling a large scale idol of furnaces as well as H company in eastern Japan is sustaining procurement at higher prices but we see T company would pull down buying price of battery scrap as soon as the company has established enough inventory.

It is said that only one export application for Korea has never been permitted since after June this year as export for Korea is imposed with severe conditions by Basel Act revisions likewise. Thus as it is sure the export ceiling will decrease gradually, the export shipment may survive till April/May next year at longest. Even export of grid lead for Korea will be difficult.

Whether or not the environment may affect, it is also heard that offer of grid lead has been increasing.

According to a source of a lead smelter showed anxiety saying “ As if they presume export for Korea would stall and eventually stop, cases shipping grid lead to domestic lead smelters has began to increase. Sometime it is found that they do not legally dispose diluted sulfuric acid inside the battery case. We see such illegal dismantle will increase all over the country 

（IRUNIVERSE　S. Aoyama）

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