Japan Aluminium Re-rollers’ Shipment Turns to Y/Y Plus in May

Japanese aluminium re-rollers’ shipment volume of aluminium foil for capacitors represented the first year-to-year plus in 3 months and returned to the level as high as the pre-earthquake volume in May, according to Japan Aluminium Association’s statistics. Capacitor makers’ operations have been restored from temporary suspensions after Japan Earthquake. Along the capacitor makers’ recovery, the demand for aluminium foil upturned.

Aluminium foil shipment for capacitors increased by 7.3% to 3,821 tonnes in May from a year earlier, which was 3,200-3,300 tonnes per month in March and April. The application accounts for approximately 40% in the total aluminum foil shipment. The total aluminium foil shipment was 10,419 tonnes in May, increasing by 9.6% from a year earlier.

Japanese aluminium re-rollers’ total shipment of flat and extruded products was 166,886 tonnes and the production was 169,108 tonnes in May, announced by Japan Aluminium Association on Monday. The shipment slightly increased by 0.8% from a year earlier and represented the first year-to-year plus in 3 months. The production decreased by 0.4% year-to-year.

The production of flat aluminium products increased by 0.3% to 111,439 tonnes while the shipment increased by 1.7% to 108,705 tonnes. The production turned to year-to-year plus after 3 months while the shipment after 5 months. The shipment for can materials increased by 23.4% to 43,521 tonnes and hit the monthly record as May. Can makers have recovered from the damages of the major earthquake and started to increase can material inventories before electric power supply regulation for July-September.

Meanwhile, the production of aluminium extrusions decreased by 1.7% to 57,669 tonnes and the shipment decreased by 0.9% to 58,180 tonnes. Both the production and the shipment maintained year-to-tear minus for 2 months in a row. The shipment represented year-to-year plus for construction market but dropped by 31.2% for automobile industry.