Japanese Aluminum Sash Manufacturers Advance Price Hikes

Japanese aluminum sash manufacturers needs the measure according to rises of the material prices following escalating price of aluminum ingot; for example, they pass on the material cost to their products or shift to the products of more high-value added products. Especially, as for the products for building construction, it is expected that they will advance the selected order because they get away from low profits.LME (London Metal Exchange) aluminum ingot price increased to 2,300-US-dollar-mark per tonne for both spot and futures, it is continuing the strong tone from the latter half of last year. Consequently, Japanese rolled light metal product manufacturers or aluminum foil manufacturers hammered out the hikes of the products by 30 yen or more per kilogram from shipping this or last month. Meanwhile, as for sash manufacturers, Fujisash increased the products price by 5% from May 2005; Shin Nikkei raised it by 5% from last August. General constructors whose consumers are strongly resisting against the price hikes by sash manufacturers. However, Akira Saga, president of Fujisash, said that the company would continue the hike. Building products business is in the red or low profit in even the biggest aluminum sash manufacturers of Tostem Corporation. Since the material price is expected to rise, sash manufacturers will advance the price hike of the building products. Additionally, they will carry out cost reduction. Tadahiro Yoshida, president of YKKAP said that the firm will emphasize the development of new products. They will improve the profit by the products which is high-value added.