Italy's Q1 Copper, Aluminum Products Output Rises

MILAN, July 7 -- Italy's output of copper and alloy semi-finished products rose 19.8 percent year-on-year to 289,900 tonnes in the first quarter of 2010, data from Italy's non-ferrous metals association Assomet showed.

Italy's output of aluminum and alloy semi-finished products jumped 26.1 percent to 204,600 tonnes, according to Assomet data obtained by Reuters on Monday.

Assoment did not explain the first-quarter performance but its director said in March he expected 2010 output of copper and aluminum semi-finished products to be flat or slightly better than in a "terrible" 2009 as the industry recovers from the global economic crisis.

Copper alloy products output jumped 32.5 percent to 139,800 tonnes in the first three months of this year, outpacing a 10 percent rise in copper products output at 150,100 tonnes, the data showed.

Assomet did not give output data for the first six months of this year.

But its data showed that orders for semi-finished products made of copper alloys and aluminum rose in the first five months of 2010, while orders for copper products fell.