Japan Electric Wire and Cable Shipment Decreases by 8.1% Y/Y in March

Japanese domestic shipment of electric wire and cable was quickly estimated at 55,300 tonnes of copper in March, year-to-year minus by 8.1%, according to a survey on approximately 130 makers those who belong to Japanese Electric Wire & Cable Makers’ Association. The shipment for automobile largely decreased while the shipment for construction market and related wholesalers represented the only year-to-year plus among several demand fields. Actual shipment of optical fiber products in February represented the first year-to-year plus in 9 months and exceeded 3 million kilometers of fiber length (kmf) for the first time in 8 months.

Copper cable shipment for automobiles was quickly estimated at 4,100 tonnes in March, year-to-year minus by 40.5%. The shipment would represent below 5,000 tonnes for the first time since August 2009. Automotive wiring harness shipment dropped when Japanese automakers stopped their domestic plants after Japan Earthquake. The average shipment from October 2010 to February 2011 was approximately 5,800 tonnes per month, the term after Japanese government’s subsidy program for eco friendly cars ceased.

Copper wire and cable shipment for construction market was estimated to keep the average volume before the earthquake and maintain year-to-year plus since August 2010. The shipment increased in March for emergent repair of damaged facilities including Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant while the speculative demand expanded among the users those who were concerned about cable supply shortage.

Copper cable shipment for electric machines and appliances would represent the first year-to-year minus in 16 months. Car related shipment seems to have decreased such for magnet wire and electric wire for automotive components.

For other demand fields, copper wire and cable shipment was estimated not to increase or decrease largely against the pre-disaster average level in March. The wide-range minus of aluminium wire shipment is mainly due to the large-lot shipment of overhead power transmission conductor in the previous year.

Actual shipment of optical fiber products increased by 13.5% to 3.019 million kmf in February from a year earlier. The export increased by 10% to 2.27 million kmf, which represented the first year-to-year plus in 9 months and exceeded 2 million kmf for the first time in 5 months.