Taiwan's ferronickel imports plummeted to around 18,800 tons in the first five months of this year, falling by 55% compared to the same period last year. This sharp decline reflected a sluggish stainless steel market and a reduction in in-house smelting needs by local steel mills, consequently impacting their ferronickel procurement.

During the period, Indonesia remained the main source with a supply of 9,056 tons, followed by New Caledonia with 8,147 tons. However, imports from Indonesia dropped significantly from over 28,000 tons last year, and Japan, one of the sources last year, had no supply for 2025 so far.