Aluminum Shipments by Japan Jump 29% on Auto Demand

Japan's shipments of rolled- aluminum products grew 29 percent in April, a fifth straight month of expansion, as the economic recovery accelerated.

Supplies to the domestic and export markets climbed to 177,195 metric tons, from 137,718 tons a year earlier, the Japan Aluminium Association said in a statement today. Shipments to the auto industry more than doubled to 22,469 tons as carmakers expanded production.

Japan's economy grew at the fastest pace in three quarters in January through March, bolstered by a surge in exports that highlighted the country's reliance on demand from abroad. The government said yesterday that the economy is "picking up" as a global recovery and stimulus measures will continue to support the rebound.

"Shipments have so far recovered steadily," Takashi Ishiyama, who was selected as the association's chairman today, told reporters in Tokyo. "It's unclear" whether demand will keep growing at the current pace, he said.

Tomoaki Ohara, the group's vice chairman, said Europe's debt crisis could cap a recovery in demand, as the region is a major export market for China, which led the economic rebound.

"If the situation in Europe deteriorates, that could have an impact on China's economy," Ohara said at the same conference in Tokyo today.

Members of the Japan Aluminium Association include Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp., Kobe Steel Ltd. and Nippon Light Metal Co.