Japan Secondary Al Alloy Production Totals 816,762T in CY2010

Japanese secondary aluminium and aluminium alloy ingot production totaled 816,762 tonnes in CY2010 while the shipment totaled 824,345 tonnes, according to Japan Aluminium Alloy Refiners Association. Both production and shipment showed first year-to-year plus since CY2007. The production increased by 22.6% and represented the secondly largest year-to-year plus. The shipment increased by 21.6% and represented the record widest plus range. Meanwhile, the volume was 73% of the peak level.

The shipment for casting and die casting jumped by more than 20%, such for automotive pistons, wheels or engine blocks, when domestic car sales increased along Japanese government’s incentive for eco friendly cars and automotive components’ export kept active.

In CY2010, Japanese secondary aluminium and aluminium alloy production maintained steady by July. In February, the production expanded by 98.3% to 67,305 tonnes from a year earlier and the shipment for die casting more than doubled year-to-year. The production kept above 70,000 tonnes per month for March-July except for May with fewer business days.

The production represented below 60,000 tonnes in August and the shipment for die casting turned to year-to-year minus in September, since the incentive for eco cars was scheduled to cease in late September. In November, both production and shipment showed year-to-year minus for the first time in 11 months.