Japan Rolled Copper Shipment Hits 3-Year Low in 2008

Japanese rolled copper products shipment decreased by 5.6% to 946,986 tonnes in 2008 from 2007, which decreased to less than a million tonne for the first time since 2005, according to Japan Copper and Brass Association. The demand for rolled copper products plunged down under the recession after September.

The domestic shipment decreased by 4.6% to 777,242 tonnes in 2008 from 2007. The shipment for connector declined by 2.5% to 133,936 tonnes, though the demand was steady in first half of 2008 while the shipment in April increased by 17.3% from a year earlier. But the shipment turned downward since August compared with same month a year ago and drops by 42.1% in December. The copper and brass strip shipment declined when the cellular phone and computer demand dropped under the global recession.

For transportation machine, the rolled copper shipment decreased by 2.1% to 72,877 tonnes in 2008 from 2007 when the connector production for automobile collapsed due to the significant output reduction by automakers. For lead frame material, the copper alloy strip shipment decreased by 8.1% to 49,092 tonnes for semiconductor.

The export decreased by 9.8% to 169,744 tonnes in 2008 from a year earlier due to the appreciation of yen.