[Ferro-Alloys.Com]Japan’s imports of high-carbon ferrochrome plunged to 37,843 mt in September, down 55.4% from August and 47% from September 2011. The imports were the lowest since December 2009 when they totaled only 35,574 mt. The major suppliers in September were: Kazakhstan, 17,200, down 35.1% from August and 43.3% from September 2011; South Africa supplied only 12,032 mt, down 73.9% from August and down 64.3% from September 2011. High-carbon imports for the first nine months of 2012 were 517,770 mt, down 9.9% from the same 2011 period. South Africa accounted for 48% of the total (248,432 mt), down 46% from the same 2011 period. Kazakhstan supplied 38.4% (198,865 mt) vs. 41.1% in the same 2011 period, while imports from India fell to 47,069 mt from 56,048 mt. Russia contributed 12,118 mt, up from 6,155 in the same 2011 period.

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