Japan defies world aluminium trend

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32848, 23 February 1972, Page 20

Japan defies world aluminium trend

In spite of the world slowdown in aluminium, Japan increased its production of commercial grade primary aluminium by 21.9 per cent to 887,117 metric tons in 1971, according to figures in the London “Metal Bulletin.”

However, deliveries by the : industry expanded at a slower rate of 18.8 ]>er cent - to 833,239 metric tons and stocks on hand at the end of the year were up by 53,878 metric tons to 94,281 j metric tons. Japanese smelters intend to cut back production from the beginning of the Japanese fiscal year, on April 1. The 1971 production figures show that Nippon Light Metal lost its position as Japan’s largest aluminium smelter by a short nose. N.L.M. lifted 1971 output of commercial grade aluminimum by 10.9 per cent to 238,736 tons, while Sumitomo Chemical increased its production by 26.3 per cent to 234,767 tons. However, with the inclusion of production of superpurity aluminium, Sumitomo’s 1971 total of 239,807 tons has a slight edge over the 239,780 tons produced by N.L.M. Showa Denko increased its output of commercial grade aluminium by 10.9 per cent to 217,251 tons while Mitsubishi showed a rise of 10.6 per cent to 160,305 tons. The remainder was accounted for by the first production from the new Ohmuta smelter which Mitsui brought on stream during 1971. AH the companies are buyers of aluminium raw materials from Australia, either in the form of bauxite or alumina. Mitsui is a major customer for the Gove bauxite shipments which began last year.

N.L.M. takes bauxite from both Weipa and Gove, while Mitsubishi is a buyer of alumina from the Kwinana plant of Alcoa of Australia. Both Sumitomo and Showa Denko are large contract buyers of Weipa bauxite as well as each being 25 per cent partners in the new Bluff smelter of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters. Both Japanese partners have begun to take shipments from the Bluff smelter.