TOKYO (Reuters) – The premium for aluminium shipments to Japanese buyers for April to June was set at $182 a metric ton, down 20% from the current quarter, to reflect weak demand, six sources directly involved in pricing talks said.
The figure is lower than the $228 per ton paid in January to March and marks a first quarterly decline in five quarters.
Japan is a major Asian importer of the light metal and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region.
(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
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