Japan Apr aluminium shipments down 30.7 pct yr/yr

*April shipments up 10.8 percent month-on-month. *Month-on-month rise seen as sign of stabilising shipments TOKYO, May 27 (Reuters) - Japanese shipments of aluminium products fell 30.7 percent in April from a year earlier to 137,718 tonnes, industry data showed on Wednesday, although they rose 10.8 percent from March in a further sign that the shipments might be stabilising. Demand for the metal has fallen sharply since last year due to the global economic crisis which has hit major users such as automakers. April shipments rose 10.8 percent from March, a second straight month of increases. March shipments climbed 10.0 percent from the previous month to mark the first rise since October. Some officials in the Japanese aluminium industry say they have made progress in working down inventories. They say they may start looking for fresh supplies, although purchases may be aimed more at replenishing depleted stocks rather than being a response to demand from end-users. March shipments fell 35.8 percent from a year earlier to 124,248 tonnes, data provided by the Japan Aluminium Association showed.