Japan Sept Copper Cable Shipments Down 17% y/y

TOKYO, Oct. 23 -- Japanese copper wire and cable shipments fell by over 17 percent in September from a year earlier, extending a year-on-year decline into the 12th straight month due to a lack of strong demand from the construction sector.

    The country's demand for copper, used in areas such as electronics and automobiles, tumbled from late last year due to the economic downturn.

    Shipments amounted to an estimated 57,800 tonnes last month, down 17.4 percent from a year earlier, although they were up 14 percent from August, data from the Japanese Electric Wire and Cable Makers' Association showed on Friday.

    The final number for August of 50,531 tonnes confirmed a 13 13 percent decline in shipments from July's 58,032 tonnes, partly due to a seasonal fall in demand during the summer holiday season.

    Shipments, including exports which account for around 4 percent of the total, rose month-on-month in March, June and July this year, but showed little signs of sustainable growth.

    Last month, the association revised down its estimate for copper wire and cable demand for the business year to March 2010 to 648,000 tonnes, the lowest since 1971/72 and down from 705,000 tonnes made earlier this year.

    (Source: Reuters)