TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - A major global aluminium producer has lowered its offer of a premium for Japanese buyers to $170 per tonne for July-September primary metal shipments from its initial level of $180, two sources directly involved in quarterly pricing talks said.
The $170 offer still marks a 31-36% increase from the current quarter's premiums of $125-$130 per tonne <PREM-ALUM-JP>.
Japan is Asia's biggest importer of the metal and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)