Japan Copper Rolled Product Output Recovers 70,000T in March

Japanese copper alloy fabricators’ production was quickly estimated at 76,060 tonnes in March, increasing by 120.4% from a year earlier, according to Japan Copper & Brass Association. The monthly production recovers 70,000 tonnes for the first time since October 2008, which represents year-on-year increase for 5 straight months and the largest range of increase since the beginning of the statistics in January 1953. The main factors are that the output showed the widest year-on-year decrease in March 2009 and that the exports of copper alloy products keep strong for Asia.

Copper strip production was quickly estimated at 23,150 tonnes in March, which exceeds the monthly average of 22,800 tonnes for April-September 2008 before the world economic deterioration. Brass strip production exceeds 10,000 tonnes per month for the first time since October 2008. Phosphor bronze sheet and strip expands by 3.9 times to 4,339 tonnes. Demand for these products is steady, applied to digital appliances, cars and semiconductors mainly in China.

Brass bar production represented year-to-year increase for 4 straight months but the demand maintained stagnant from domestic construction market such for water taps and gas appliances. Copper tube production exceeded 10,000 tonnes per month for 2 months in a row.