The world's stainless steel industry has reduced demand for nickel products, resulting in a large surplus of nickel products worldwide. Japan's domestic stainless steel industry is also in a downturn, which prevents the stainless steel industry from effectively consuming nickel products. Therefore, Japanese nickel product manufacturers need to look for buyers in the international market. According to the analysis of relevant departments, Japan's nickel export volume in 2013 may hit a new high.
 

Demand for nickel from domestic stainless steel producers continues to be weak. It is expected that Japan's nickel production will rise by 5.8% year-on-year to 183,000 tons this year; demand will drop by 2.8% to 139,000 tons. It is expected that Japan's nickel exports may increase by 10% this year to 96,000 tons. In addition, the depreciation of the yen will also boost the export of nickel products in Japan. Japan’s large export of nickel products to the international market will further aggravate the surplus of nickel products in the international market and intensify the contradiction between supply and demand of nickel products.
To solve the contradiction between the supply and demand of nickel products in the world, it is necessary to start with the stainless steel industry, but the current stainless steel industry in the world is also trapped in the quagmire, unable to help the nickel product production industry out of the current predicament.