Japanese naphtha imports decline for fifth month in a row
25 Aug '11
1 min read
Japan's import volume of naphtha – a key petrochemical used as a raw material for production of ethylene - fell 9.7 percent year-on-year in July 2011, as per Government data. This is the fifth consecutive month that witnessed a year-on-year decline in naphtha import after the March earthquake.
The country's naphtha imports stood at 1.234 million tons in July, compared to 1.386 million tons in the same month last year and 1.168 million tons in June 2011, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
July naphtha imports were valued at US$ 1.207 billion as against US$ 1.189 billion in June 2011, up 1.5 percent. The import price of naphtha in July 2011 stood at US$ 978.2/ton, compared to US$ 677.4/ton in July 2010 and US$ 1,017.8/ton in June 2011.