Japanese Optical Fiber Product Shipment Hits Record High in CY2009

Japanese actual shipment of electric wire and cable totaled 648,700 tonnes of copper in CY2009, minus by 20.5% from CY2008, according to a survey on approximately 130 electric wire and cable makers those who belong to Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association. The annual shipment of optical fiber products hit the record high at 34.146 million kilometers of fiber core (kmf) in CY2009, plus by 0.5% from CY2008.

Copper wire and cable shipment maintained stagnant for domestic construction market through CY2009. The shipment of magnet wire, copper wire and cable for transporting machines and electric appliances dropped by about 40% in the first 6 months.

However, among building wires, the shipment of environment-friendly wire and cable (called “EM wire and cable”) increased by 9.8% in CY2009 from CY2008. Most of EM wire and cable shipment is for governmental and public buildings. In CY2009 the demand increased from seismic strengthening works for schools or hospitals.

Aluminium wire and cable shipment also increased in CY2009 thanks to Japanese power companies’ stable investment to establish or renew power transmission and distribution facilities.

The shipment of optical fiber products increased by 10.3% to 26.312 kmf for export while decreased by 22.5% to 7.834 kmf for domestic market in CY2009 from CY2008. The export strongly increased thanks to the demand growth for Fiber-to-the-Home at overseas.