Japan Electric Wire and Cable Shipment Increases in October

Electric wire and cable shipment increased by 3.3% to 78,300 tonnes of copper in October from a year earlier from 139 Japanese electric wire and cable makers which belong to Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association, announced by Association on Monday. The total shipment increased from a year ago for the first time in 2 months, when the shipment for wholesalers and electric contractors decreased for 5 straight months while increased for the other usage fields and covered the decrease. The shipment of optical fiber products increased by 35.6% to 2.23 million kilometers core in September from a year ago.The shipment for wholesalers and electric contractors, which represents more than 40% of the total shipment, maintains slow after the shipment kept increase from a year ago for 14 months by May 2006. Monthly shipment becomes behind from 2005 because the shipment stayed at extremely high level in 2005. Monthly shipment volume sustained the high level at over 30,000 tonnes even after June 2006. Demand is active from electric contractors as total, while some point out spot demand is being slower.Copper wire and cable shipment increased by 10.7% for automobile in October from a year earlier, most of which is automotive wiring harness and increased for 5 months in a row. The shipment increased by 5.6% for electric machine and appliances, which is the second largest usage field next to building construction. The shipment for power companies increased for 7 months in a row.The shipment of optical fiber products exceeded 2 million kilometers core for 7 straight months and increased from a year earlier for 17 months.