Japanese monthly output of rolled aluminium products, including flat and extruded products, decreased by 6.1% to 171,267 tonnes in November from a year earlier while the shipment decreased by 6% to 172,576 tonnes, announced by Japan Aluminium Association on December 27. Both of the production and the shipment represented year-to-year minus for six straight months. The shipment largely decreased for flat products, especially for the export.
Both of the production and the shipment showed year-to-year minus for six months in a row for aluminium flat products. Especially the export dropped by 35.7% to 14,540 tonnes. The figure represented wide-range minus since the export hit the monthly record high in November 2010. Meanwhile, the actual export demand also weakened due to suspension of the users’ factories along flood in Thailand. As for aluminium extruded products, the shipment showed year-to-year plus for four straight months and the production for two months in a row. By year-to-year comparison, the shipment increased by 4% for car related applications and increased by 9.9% for constructions, two main demand fields. Aluminium foil demand was weak for both capacitors and foods when the users were under inventory adjustment.