Nickel/Chinese ore imports plummet reflecting lower NPI output

摘要

Chinese nickel pig iron (NPI) production has also not been immune to falling nickel prices this year. Most independent blast furnace operations have shut down, as they are no longer profitable, and analysts have slashed NPI production estimates for 2008 from 120,000t to 85,000-95,00t. Supporting this revision is the recent slump in Chinese imports of laterite ore used to produce NPI.