Artikel Japan Exports Soar in October, Driven by Asia & EU Demand pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
]]>Shipments to Asia climbed 4.2% over the year, while exports to Western Europe surged 8.8%, or 9.2% in some reporting, bolstering Japan’s trade performance. On the flip side, exports to the United States declined 3.1%, though the drop is less severe compared to previous months. One key export category, automobiles — Japan’s top-value exports to the U.S. — fell 7.5% in value, but that’s much gentler than the steep 24%-plus slump seen in earlier months.
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A weaker yen also played a role, lifting the value of goods sold abroad and helping offset the impact of U.S. tariffs. Despite rising exports, Japan still ran a trade deficit: imports rose by 0.7%, reducing the shortfall to ¥231.8 billion, better than the expected ¥280 billion.
The timing of this export rebound is notable because it follows a disappointing third quarter: Japan’s GDP contracted 0.4%, dragged down in part by trade weakness. And with consumer inflation measured by core CPI still running above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for the 43rd month in a row, these stronger export figures may lend support to arguments for a near-term rate hike.
Overall, the data suggest that while U.S. demand remains weak — especially under tariff pressure — Japan is buoyed by resurging overseas markets, giving at least a modest boost to its export-dependent economy.
Artikel Japan Exports Soar in October, Driven by Asia & EU Demand pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
]]>Artikel EU Producers Seek 30% Export Duty on Aluminium Scrap pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
]]>Scrap exports from the EU surged to 1.26 million metric tons in 2024, about 50% more than five years earlier, with the majority of that going to countries in Asia. Producers attribute part of the issue to U.S. trade policies: while U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on imported aluminium products, scrap was exempted under 15% tariffs, making it more attractive for U.S. consumers—thus pulling demand away from the EU market. This divergence is said to exacerbate scrap outflows from EU territory.
Industry leaders contend that buyers in Asia can outbid EU recyclers in part because of subsidised energy, lower labour costs, and laxer environmental regulation—all of which allow Asian smelters to offer more for scrap than EU-based recycling companies can afford to match. Paul Voss, Director-General of European Aluminium, pointed out that while traders will “naturally sell to the highest bidder,” it falls to public policy to correct these kinds of market imbalances in order to “protect Europe’s strategic interests.”
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The sector’s push is supported by steel group Eurofer. Both groups have met with the Commission to press for the proposed export levy. The European Commission, which began monitoring aluminium scrap exports in July, has indicated it will assess whether to move forward on trade measures by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
Producers highlighted the importance of scrap in Europe’s climate agenda: recycling aluminium consumes about 95% less energy than producing primary aluminium from mined bauxite, making scrap a key component of reducing carbon emissions in metals industries. To that end, EU firms have already invested around €700 million in increasing recycling furnace capacity, aiming for 12 million tonnes of processing capacity.
Recyclers and export proponents, however, issued warnings. Representatives from recycling body EuRIC say that the large volume of scrap shipments reflects weak domestic demand in the EU and insufficient processing capacity, especially for mixed and complex scrap such as shredded vehicles. They warn that an export levy or restriction could distort the market and harm recycling operators without solving supply bottlenecks.
Artikel EU Producers Seek 30% Export Duty on Aluminium Scrap pertama kali tampil pada todayinasian.com.
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