Japan Copper Electric Wire Shipment Ups by 3.4% in May

Japanese copper electric wire makers’ shipment increased by 3.4% to 65,400 tonne in copper volume in May from a year earlier, according to members’ report Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association announced on Monday. The volume increased for 14 months in a row. The shipment for construction and distributors, which represents 45% of total shipment and represents application for house wiring of building, increased for 14 months in a row lifting the total volume. The copper electric wire shipment increased by 5.2% to 74,343 tonnes and the optical products shipment increased by 64.5% to 2.12 million kilometers core in April from a year earlier, according to the confirmed report. The shipment for construction and distributors kept high level in April-May, when the demand is seasonal slow normally. The shipment was firm for major wiring projects for digital appliances plans and commercial facilities. The shipment increased when the major projects consumed larger diameter cable using larger copper volume. However, mid- and small sized projects was apparently slower. The shipment for electric machine, which represents 25% of total shipment, increased for 5 months in a row through May from a year earlier. The shipment of machinery wire and winding wire has kept increasing since summer of 2005. The shipment for machine wire increased by 15% to 5,153 tonnes and the shipment for winding wire increased by 4.3% to 13,918 tonnes, which apparently includes automotive applications, in April from a year earlier. The shipment for power cable has kept firm since April 2005 due to recovery of capital expenditure by electric power firms. The shipment for automobile, of which main application is wiring harness, decreased in April and May. The shipment for communications has kept decreasing when the carriers shift from copper cable to optical fiber cable. The shipment of optical cable increased for 12 months in a row through May. The shipment reached 2 million kilometers core for 2 months in a row when the demand keeps firm for optical fiber network to household.