Brass Bar Production to Decrease by 20-25% for Oct-Dec, Japan

Brass bar makers in East Japan are decreasing their productions. They plan to decrease brass bar output by 20-25% for October-December from a year earlier. Demand for brass bar is declining from gas appliances, valves and water taps when new housing and building starts are delayed or canceled in Japan currently. Slowdown of automobile market also impacts brass bar makers’ order receipt volume.

A brass bar maker source said they produced more brass bars in September than in August. Domestic brass bar production was as low as 16,362 tonnes in August, according to the statistics by Japan Copper & Brass Association. However, the source said the order receipt amount at Japanese brass bar makers seemed only about 14,000 tonnes in September. The order receipt volume is expected to become average 15,000 tonnes per month for October-December. Brass bar production might decrease by 26% to 15,000 tonnes in October compared with 20,153 tonnes in October 2007.

Japanese domestic brass bar production has represented year-to-year decrease trend since February 2007 for such applications as gas appliances and water taps. New housing and building starts are decreasing in Japan and demand for gas and water appliances became stagnant, those which use brass bar as main material. Demand is also slowing down from automobiles recently.