TOKYO, March 29 (Reuters) - Japan's aluminium premium for shipments during the April to June quarter was set at $128 per tonne, as higher overseas prices pushed spot premiums in Japan higher, five sources directly involved in the quarterly pricing talks said on Wednesday.
The new premium is 35 percent higher than the $95 per tonne premium PREM-ALUM-JP in the previous quarter and is the second quarterly increase in a row and the highest in two years.
Japan is Asia's biggest importer of aluminium and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price CMAL0 set the benchmark for the region.