TOKYO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Japanese shipments of aluminium products rose 9.1 percent in December from a year earlier to 155,925 tonnes, industry data showed on Thursday.
That was down 5.4 percent from November's 164,859 tonnes, data issued by the Japan Aluminium Association showed.
For a graphics on Japan's aluminium shipments, click on
http://link.reuters.com/zyg36h
Japan's demand for industrial metals, including aluminium, tumbled from late 2008 due to the worst global economic downturn in decades which forced automakers and other top manufacturers to cut production.
But demand for aluminium has returned to about 80 percent of its peak year, although industry officials remain worried about the pace of recovery from this year as Japan's economy remains fragile.
Japan is Asia's largest importer of primary aluminium, with annual demand estimated at about two million tonnes.
However, Japan's aluminium imports in January to November plunged to about 1.2 million tonnes as demand for the metal, which is also used in packaging, plunged.
(Reporting by Miho Yoshikawa)
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