Japan: Rolled aluminum shipments hit 3-year low in H1'23, diminishes below 900,000 t
In the first half of 2023 (January to June), the Japan Aluminum Association reported a decline in the shipment and production of rolled aluminum products (total plate and...
In the first half of 2023 (January to June), the Japan Aluminum Association reported a decline in the shipment and production of rolled aluminum products (total plate and extrusion). Compared to the previous year, the shipment volume decreased by 8.8% to 859,536 t, and production decreased by 9.4% to 850,948 t. This is the first time in three years that the first-half shipments have fallen below 900,000 tonnes (t) since the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak. Despite the recovery of automotive materials, the decline in shipments was seen in various sectors, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment, building materials, and exports.
In terms of product types, plate shipments of rolled aluminum decreased by 11.1% to 530,937 t, while production declined by 11.9% to 529,097 t. The demand for home drinking products also decreased to 196,796 t, showing a 3.1% decline, mainly because people had more opportunities to go out. However, there was a positive development in automotive materials, which increased by 7.1% to 97,641 t due to the recovery of domestic production. On the other hand, exports decreased significantly by 27.2% to 67,285 t, foil shipments fell by 10.9% to 53,178 t, and electronics and communication equipment shipments experienced a sharp decline of 70.1% to 3,698 t.
For extrusions, shipments went down by 4.9% to 328,599 t, and production decreased by 5.1% to 321,851 t. The construction sector saw a decline in demand for rolled aluminum with 196,796 t shipped, a 5.5% decrease. This was attributed to delays in construction due to high material prices and labour shortages, along with a decrease in housing starts and a reduction in aluminum consumption per unit.
On the positive side, sales for automobiles increased by 11.4% to 63,635 t, driven by a recovery in truck sales. However, foil made from boards as base metal experienced a decline in both shipments and production, with shipments down by 12.2% to 49,879 t, and production down by 12.7% to 49,454 t. The production of lithium-ion batteries also decreased by 12.7% to 13,969 t, and sales for capacitors decreased by 15.1% to 11,006 t.
While sales for automotive components remained strong, there was weak demand for consumer products like data centres. In the food industry, purchases of confectionery decreased due to soaring prices, leading to an increase in the use of external packaging materials. Consequently, the foodstuff sector saw a decrease of 9.5% with 10,784 t shipped.
This article has been published under an exchange agreement between Japan Metal Daily and SteelMint.
