Japan Aluminium Demand Ups by 7.4% for Automobile in F2005

Japanese aluminium products shipment for automobile including motorcycle increased by 7.4% to 1.644 million tonnes including rolled, casting and die-casting products in fiscal 2005 ended April 2006 from fiscal 2004, according to report by Japan Aluminium Association and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The shipment increased for 4 years in a row. The die-casting shipment kept firm growth and rolled products shipment reached 300,000 tonnes. The shipment keeps increasing when automobile uses more aluminium. The rolled products shipment increased mainly for heat exchanger in fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004. The shipment for car kept near 10% growth though the level was lower than 5 years average of 15%. The die-casting shipment increased by 9% to 912,466 tonnes for automobile and motorcycle in fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004. The demand was firm mainly for structural applications when automobile output kept growing.