U.S. Imports For Consumption Of Nickel Products, By Class

TABLE 8
U.S. IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION OF NICKEL PRODUCTS, BY CLASS¹

	2012		2013
	Quantity		Quantity
	(metric tons of	Value	(metric tons of	Value
Class	contained nickel)	(thousands)	contained nickel)	(thousands)
Primary:
Unwrought:
Cathodes, pellets, briquets, shot	111,000	$2,010,000	104,000	$1,630,000
Ferronickel	13,000	228,000	13,700	212,000
Powder and flakes	5,210	131,000	5,690	120,000
Metallurgical-grade oxide²	868	18,500	687	14,500
Chemicals:
Catalysts³	1,590	111,000	1,590	92,800
Salts⁴	952	19,100	1,010	20,000
Total	133,000	2,520,000	126,000	2,090,000
Secondary:
Stainless steel scrap	11,700	236,000	17,000	211,000
Waste and scrap⁵	10,600	209,000	9,350	149,000
Total	22,300	445,000	26,300	359,000
Grand total	155,000	2,960,000	153,000	2,450,000
Wrought, not alloyed:
Bars, rods, profiles, wire	669	16,500	274	8,070
Sheets, strip, foil	600	16,700	464	13,300
Tubes and pipes	174	5,670	120	4,330
Total	1,440	38,800	859	25,700
Alloyed, gross weight:
Unwrought alloyed ingot	12,200	237,000	10,900	221,000
Bars, rods, profiles, wire	11,400	344,000	10,300	273,000
Sheets, strip, foil	3,650	91,200	2,930	68,700
Tubes and pipes	1,590	91,000	2,000	165,000
Other alloyed articles	1,350	143,000	1,810	165,000
Total	30,100	906,000	27,900	892,000
¹Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.
²Nickel content from Australia, 90%; elsewhere, 77%.-
³Typical catalyst is assumed to have a nickel content of 22%.
⁴Nickel contents are as follows: chemical-grade oxide, sesquioxide, and hydroxide, 65%; chlorides, 25%;-
sulfates, 22%; and other salts, assumed to be 22%. Excludes nickel carbonate.-
⁵Waste and scrap shipment is assumed to be 50% nickel; stainless steel scrap, 7.5%.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.