Toho Zinc will re-start indium production in November 2005 at their Annaka zinc refinery in Gunma prefecture. Output was suspended in 1986 because of the low indium price, of Yen 20,000-30,000/kg. Since then, demand for indium-tin oxide in flat plasma display panels and liquid crystal displays has risen and prices have increased to Yen 100,000-105,000/kg. Toho Zinc have invested Yen 500M in the refinery. Output is planned at 10-20tpy; the wide range is due to the variation in the indium content of zinc ores. Japanese imports of indium metal, powder and scrap fell by 3 percent year-on-year to 130.4t in January to April 2005. Although imports from China increased by 9 percent (to 96.4t), shipments from Russia and the USA dropped by 87 percent (to 1.1t) and by 28 percent (to 11.5t) respectively. The average value soared by 220 percent year-on-year, however, increasing to Yen 92,971/kg in January to April 2005.
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