Japan Electric Cable Shipment Shows 2-digit Decline for 3 Straight Months

Japanese domestic shipment of electric wire and cable decreased by 21.2% to 53,100 tonnes of copper in January from a year earlier, according to a quick estimation by Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association. The shipment showed 2-digit year-on-year decline for 3 months in a row. The actual shipment of optical fiber products decreased by 16.2% to 2.1 million kilometers of fiber core in December from a year earlier, which represented year-on-year decline for 2 straight months.

Copper cable shipment for automobiles, mainly automotive wiring harness, dropped by 39.3% to 4,500 tonnes in January from a year earlier at a quick estimation. The shipment halved from recent peak of 9,029 tonnes in November 2007. Copper cable shipment for electric and electronic appliances was quickly estimated at 10,200 tonnes in January, the bottom in 33 and a half years. Magnet wire shipment especially shrank for auto related applications.

Copper cable shipment for domestic construction market represented 2-digit year-on-year decrease since October 2008. Backgrounds are that Japanese manufacturing industry are minimizing their capital expenditure and that construction of condominiums and commercial buildings is decreasing.

The actual shipment of optical fiber products decreased by 18.8% to 1.46 million kilometers of fiber core for export and downed by 9.8% to 643,167 kilometers of fiber core for domestic market in December from a year earlier. The export represented first year-on-year decline in November 2008 after 3 years and 2 months.