Sumiden Hitachi Cable Forecasts Japan Building Wire Market 6.4% Up in F2011

Japan’s largest building wires and cables sales company, Sumiden Hitachi Cable, forecasts Japanese domestic demand for major 3 building wire items, mainly low voltage XLPE cable, would increase by 6.4% to average 14,900 tonnes of copper volume per month for fiscal 2011 ending in March 2012 from fiscal 2010. The demand is estimated to increase by 9% to average 14,300 tonnes per month in the first half of fiscal 2011 from the same period of fiscal 2010 while the demand is forecasted to increase by 4% to average 15,500 tonnes per month for the second half.

For April-June, the demand represented 17% year-on-year increase. Building wire users aggressively increased the order volume just after Japan Earthquake in March till mid May. In addition, the demand was very weak in the same period of fiscal 2010. For July-September, the demand s expected to maintain the same level while the range of year-on-year increase would narrow to 2%. For October-March, the slight demand increase is expected related to reconstructions in the disaster area.

Sumiden Hitachi Cable’s sales volume of major 3 building wire items increased by 11% for April-June from the same period of last year. The sales volume for July-September is estimated to be as same as the same period of last year. Sumiden Hitachi Cable is jointly controlled by Hitachi Cable, Sumitomo Electric Industries and Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable.