Japan End-Jan Aluminum Stocks Rise 3.05 pct m/m

TOKYO, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Aluminum stocks held at three major Japanese ports at the end of January rose 3.05 percent from a month earlier, and were seen staying around the same levels for a while, trading house Marubeni Corp (8002.T: Quote) said on Wednesday.

Aluminum stocks at the end of January stood at 199,200 mt, compared to 193,300 mt at the end of December, and were down 45.2 percent from a year earlier.

"There is little sign that stocks will be drawn down actively, so I expect them to stay around current levels for a while," a Marubeni official said.

Japan's demand for aluminum, widely used in packaging and transport, has revived after falling sharply last year as manufacturers cut production due to the economic crisis.

Demand is now back to about 80 percent of a typical year, although the appetite in the construction sector, a major consumer, remains in a slump.

The official said it was unclear what impact a string of recalls by Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote) would have on demand for the metal, but Toyota's case alone was unlikely to dent the
Japanese economy's gradual recovery trend or demand for cars in general.

News on Wednesday that Japan's core machinery orders jumped more than 20 percent in December from a record low hit in November failed to alleviate concerns about capital spending and the tepid economic recovery as the services sector is still slashing spending.

Orders from manufacturers rose 17.8 percent in October-December as a recovery in exports prompted makers of cars and electronics to spend more, but orders from non-manufacturers
fell 8.4 percent, reflecting weak domestic demand.

At the end of September, aluminum stocks fell to 169,900 mt, their lowest level since Marubeni began keeping records about 14 years ago.

Marubeni collects data from the key ports of Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka.