Japan electric Cable Shipment Keeps Almost Flat in Jun-Jul

Japanese electric wire and cable shipment increased slightly to 71,300 tonnes of copper in July from a year ago, announced by Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association on Friday. The shipment decreased by 0.3% in June and increased by only 0.2% in July from a year ago, even though the volume maintained the high level at over 70,000 tonnes in the 2 months. The market condition became uncertain before the demand season of autumn after the shipment increased for 14 months in a row by May 2006. The shipment of optical fiber products increased by 50.8% to 2.3 million kilometers core in June from a year ago.The total shipment growth became slower in June and July when the shipment for wholesalers and electric contractors decreased in the 2 months from a year earlier, which represented around 45% of the total shipment. The shipment decreased by 2.8% to 32,200 tonnes for wholesalers and electric contractors in July from a year ago. The shipment volume sustained the high level at over 30,000 tonnes in June and July and the makers’ operating rate seemed keeping high. It is still unclear whether the shipment decrease was due to the temporary slow down or the turn of the market condition.Market players recently point out the industrial cable trading became stagnant in wholesalers’ market for middle- and small-sized electric contractors since July. The shipment of electric wire and cable might have decreased due to the factor in June and July. The industrial cable shipment maintains favorable for large electric contractors.