Japan April aluminium shipments up 1.4% on year

TOKYO, May 28--Japanese shipments of aluminium mill products rose in April for the first time in the past eight months due to higher demand from auto devices, machinery parts and strong exports, said the Japan Aluminium Association. Shipments of aluminium rose 1.4 percent to 198,612 tonnes from the year-earlier period, but weak demand in construction continued to rein total shipments, the association said. Aluminium product output fell 1.4 percent from the year-earlier period to 196,087 tonnes, due to decline in extrusions, which dropped for the 15th straight month. Extrusions used in car parts rose, but continued weakness in construction weighted down overall output. Extrusions are mainly used by the construction sector for aluminium window frames. Construction demand has been decreasing due to tighter building rules introduced by the government last summer after a scandal in 2005 over falsified engineering data on apartment blocks. COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of WAM News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of WAM.