Japan Aluminium Re-rollers Operation Rate Improves in 1H

Japanese aluminium re-rollers’ operation rate improved by 0.4 percentage points to 91.9% in April-September from same period of 2005, according to Japan Aluminium Association. The operation rate increased slightly from a year earlier thanks to firm aluminium products demand for automobiles, while can material demand was relatively slow due to cold summer.The operation rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 94.2% for flat aluminium products in April-September from same period of 2005 due to slower demand for can materials. The operation rate improved by 1.3 points to 88.9% for aluminium extrusions thanks to steady demand for non-construction materials such as automotive parts. The rate exceeded 90% for extrusions in September.