Chinese April copper imports down

China's imports and exports of metals mostly slowed in April, with refined copper imports for the month falling 33.2 percent from a year before to 71,106 tonnes, official Customs figures showed on Monday.
Refined copper imports in the first four months of the year fell 36.3 percent to 276,944 tonnes, as high international prices and expanded domestic smelter capacity deterred importers.
China exported 82,785 tonnes of primary aluminium in April, down 23.3 percent from April 2005, while aluminium exports for the first four months also fell, by 37 percent to 280,634 tonnes.
Imports of alumina, the raw material for aluminium, were down 34.2 percent in April at 511,316 tonnes. Alumina imports in the January through April period were 2.214 million tonnes, down 11.8 percent.
Imports of refined nickel bucked the trend, rising 108.8 percent to 11,999 tonnes in April, figures showed. But nickel imports were still down 2.2 percent in the first four months, at 32,144 tonnes.