Reuters | March 30, 2011 | Chikako Mogi
(Reuters) – Japanese imports of rare earths fromChina shrank further in February, sliding 36 percent from January, data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance showed on Wednesday.
Imports of rare earths from China stood at 1,138 tonnes in February, down from January’s 1,783 tonnes.
In December, imports stood at 4,080 tonnes, after trade resumed following Beijing’s de-facto ban on shipments halted flows of the minerals for two months from late September.
Beijing has been tightening trade in the strategic metals used in high-tech electronics, magnets and batteries.
China will issue a second batch of rare earth export quotas later this year, but the total volume for 2011 has yet to be decided, the China Securities Journal said this month, citing Chinese commerce minister Chen Deming.
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