Japanese rolled aluminium output increased by 3.4% to 172,984 tonnes in March from a year earlier, which was the first increase in 13 months, according to Japan Aluminium Association. The output improved from slump in the major earthquake damage in March 2011 while the output was supported by better automobile production.
The flat products output increased by 2.9% to 104,069 tonnes in March from a year earlier, which increased for the first time in 10 months. The shipment decreased by 0.3% but the shipment increased by 30.1% to 13,214 tonnes for automobile due to strong automobile sales under subsidy for eco-friendly car. The extrusion output increased by 4.1% to 68,915 tonnes in March from a year earlier. The shipment increased by 4.7% to 70,104 tonnes due to higher demand for automobile and construction. The foil output decreased by 15.7% to 8,335 tonnes in March from a year earlier. The shipment decreased by 17.8% to 8,197 tonnes due to slow demand for capacitor.