TOKYO, March 26 (Reuters) - The premiums for aluminium

shipments to Japanese buyers for April to June were set at

$350-$353 per metric ton, up 79%-81% from the current quarter,

reflecting tightening supply, four sources directly involved in

the pricing talks said.

Japan is a major Asian 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

serve as the regional benchmark.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Muralikumar

Anantharaman)