Mitsubishi Materials Recovers Full Capacity Operation for Electrolytic Copper

Mitsubishi Materials increases the electrolytic copper operation to full capacity in August after the firm reduced the operation by 10% at domestic 2 smelters since February. The firm decided to terminate the production cut to meet recovering demand.

The firm planned to produce monthly 24,000 tonnes of electrolytic copper in April-September as of April. Under the plan, the production plan was 17,000 tonnes at Naoshima smelter in Kagawa and attributable 7,000 tonnes at Onahama smelter in Fukushima, in which the firm has 50% interest.

The firm has major copper buyers in Mitsubishi group including Mitsubishi Shindoh and Mitsubishi Cable Industries but the buyers’ operation decreased sharply since late 2008. The demand is still slow for automobile and semiconductor but the copper using industry improves the operation to around 70% of the peak after inventory adjustment.

Mitsubishi Materials expects Chinese demand will keep firm when the government invests in power generation and network and rail network. The firm decided to increase the copper production under the better demand condition at home and abroad.