Japan Rolled Cu Output Drops by 8.5% in February

Japanese rolled copper products output decreased by 8.5% to 64,140 tonnes in February from a year earlier, according to Japan Copper and Brass Association. The output kept less than 70,000 tonnes for 7 months in a row due to lower flat and strip output under slower demand for semiconductor and electronics.

The copper strip output decreased by 12% to 18,300 tonnes in February from a year earlier, which decreased for 15 months in a row and kept more than 10% drops for 6 months in a row. The output for export decreased by 32% to 3,810 tonnes.

The brass strip output increased by 1% to 8,595 tonnes in February from a year earlier. The output increased for 6 months in a row due to firm demand for automotive connector.

The brass bar output decreased by 6.3% to 15,440 tonnes in February from a year earlier while the output reached 15,000 tonnes for the first time in 5 months. The industry source sees the demand hit the bottom.