Japanese secondary aluminium and aluminium alloy production decreased by 6.1% to 759,807 tonnes in fiscal 2011 (from April 2011 to March 2012) from fiscal 2010, according to Japan Aluminium Alloy Refiners Association. The shipment decreased by 6.1% to 766,539 tonnes. Both of the production and the shipment turned to decrease after two years due to the sharp demand deterioration after the Japan Earthquake and Thai flood disaster. The production was 68.2% of the peak in fiscal 2007 and the shipment was 68.4% of the peak.
The shipment for die casting and casting represented year-on-year decrease in fiscal 2011 for the first time since fiscal 2009. Both of the production and the shipment was much lower than a year earlier level for April-August 2011 when automotive parts makers canceled or postponed their orders due to the supply-chain disruption after the major earthquake. The shipment for extrusions represented year-to-year decrease for seven straight years through fiscal 2011. Japanese secondary aluminium users have shrunk the domestic productions and accelerated the offshore operations in recent years. The shipment for steelmaking, such for deoxidizing, showed year-to-year increase for three years in a row through fiscal 2011. The monthly shipment represented year-on-year increase for August-December along with the recovery of domestic automobile production.