Japan Secondary Aluminium and Die Casting Output to Decrease in April

Japanese secondary aluminium alloy and die casting productions are likely to decrease in April. Domestic car production is unlikely to recover fully before May. Thus secondary aluminium alloy and die casting productions should become lower than originally planned. An official of Japanese major secondary aluminium alloy maker commented the output may decline by 10% at least.

Among major secondary aluminium alloy makers, Daiki Aluminium Industry continues full operation at Shiga, Kameyama and Yuki plants. However, the firm estimates the demand would weaken in April along automakers’ output suspensions.

Nikkei MC Aluminium keeps 70-80% operation at Tochigi plant that restarted production just recently. The other domestic plants are in full operations while there were some order cancels after Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake.

Summit Showa Aluminum is adjusting outputs in Shiga, Shinshiro, Chiba and Ibaraki plants since some of alloy users are offering order cancel or delivery suspension.

As for major die casting makers, Ahresty is suffered from low operation at Tochigi plant, one of Ahresty’s main plants. Die casting orders significantly decreased from Nissan Motor’s Iwaki plant and Fuji Heavy Industries’ Gunma plant.

Ryobi implements output reduction at its all domestic plants. Ryobi’s official commented users are offering delivery suspensions day by day and the total output reduction volume cannot be estimated as of the present.