Japan Electronic Material Output Value Increases in March

Japanese electronic materials output increased by 13% to 43.1 billion yen in March from a year ago, according to Japan Electronics & Information Technology Industries Association. The output value jumped up for metal materials by 54% to 5.74 billion yen due to the upsurge of nonferrous metal prices such for nickel.Among metal materials, the output value especially increased by 46% to 3.61 billion yen for electronic tube and lead frame materials. The output also increased for “others” category inside metal materials by 70% to 2.13 billion yen, such for spring materials in which nickel, phosphor bronze and titanium copper alloy are used.Permanent magnet output increased by 4% to 9.05 billion yen in March from a year earlier. Rare earth magnet increased by 11% to 7.1 billion yen which is applied into hard disc drives and in-vehicle appliances more than before.Upsurge of rare earth prices also lifted the increase of output value. Lynas Corporation in Australia announces on its website the selling price of neodymium oxide is FOB US$ 35.5 per kilogram, which was averagely US$ 15.81 per kg in 2006 and upped by 52.9% to US$ 24.18 for January-March 2007.