Japan Al Rolled Product Output Stays 20% Y/Y Lower in Fiscal 1H

Japanese domestic production of aluminium rolled products, including plates and extrusions, totaled 898,350 tonnes for the first half of fiscal 2009 (April-September), according to Japan Aluminium Association. The production downed by 23.1% from the corresponding period of fiscal 2008 and represented year-to-year minus for 3 straight years. The shipment decreased by 23.2% to 897,441 tonnes, which represented year-to-year down for the first time in late 2 years. Both production and shipment decreased by the widest range of more than 20 percentage points due to significant demand shrinkage mainly from automobiles.

Plate production and shipment represented year-to-year down for the first time in late 3 years. The shipment of can materials decreased by about 10,000 tonnes due to cool summer while the demand was totally low from foils, electric machines, automobiles and wholesalers. The export also dropped by about 30%.

Production and shipment of aluminium extruded products represented year-to-year minus for 3 straight years. The demand from construction market maintained stagnant. The demand was also slow from automobiles.

As to aluminium foil, the production showed year-to-year down for 5 years and the shipment for 3 years in a row. Especially the export plunged by about 60%.

In September, domestic production of aluminium rolled products, including plates and extrusions, decreased by 19.6% to 155,963 tonnes from a year earlier while the shipment declined by 18.3% to 157,085 tonnes. Both production and shipment represented year-to-year down for 12 straight months.

Plate production and shipment showed year-to-year minus for 12 straight months. As to extrusions, both production and shipment showed year-to-year down for 32 months. Foil production and shipment showed year-to-year minus for 12 months in a row due to the demand drop from electric machines, including capacitors.