Japan Al-rolled Operation Rate Decreases to Under 80% in July

Operation rate at Japanese rolled aluminium makers was 78.5% in July for flat products and extrusions, down by 19.1 percentage points from a year earlier, according to Japan Aluminium Association. The operation bottomed out from January-March. However, the operation showed year-to-year decrease. The operation rate was very low for extrusions.

The makers’ operation rate was 86.7% for flat products in July, which was more than 80% for 2 months in a row due to the firm demand for can material. The rate improved step by step from the beginning of the year.

On the other hand, the makers’ operation rate for extrusions was low in July due to the stagnation in construction and other fields. The operation would not increase to the same level as July 2008 for a while.

The can material demand is unforeseeable due to the bad weather. The makers’ operation depends on other fields, especially, the production of automobile related industry.