Updated as of September 2005

Negative Growth Keeps Production Low.

Japan's non-ferrous metal industry consisted of some 3,200 establishments as of the end of 2003, with total shipment valued at 5,621 billion yen or $53 billion in 2003, slightly down by 0.8 percent from 5,668 billion yen in 2002.

Japan's production of non-ferrous metals was in a slow decline from 1990 until 1994, but production has turned gradually upward or leveled since 1995.

Production of rolled Aluminum products were 2.41 million metric tons in 1995, The production was 2.44 million metric tons for 2000, and it has leveled off at 2.3-2.4 million metric tons since then, 2003 being 2.37 million metric tons.

Production of electrolytic copper was at the one-million-ton level in 1990, with a gradual increase to over 1.38 million tons in 2004, but down 3.5 percent from 2003. Production of electrolytic lead was 221 thousand tons in 2004, down 2.3 percent from 2003. Production of zinc was 635 thousand tons in 2004, down 2.6 percent from 2003. Production of titanium continued to be low, with no production figures being reported since 2002.

These decreases in non-ferrous metal production are due partially to the negative growth in automobile production in Japan as automobile manufacturing has shifted overseas, especially to the U.S. and Europe.

Thus the number of establishments and employees engaged in this industry has decreased from 3,500 establishments and 140,000 employees as of 1990 to approximately 3,200 establishments and 130,000 employees in 2003.

Japan depends very heavily on imports for most non-ferrous metal ore and raw materials -- 99.5 percent for copper, 100 percent for nickel, 99.3 percent for aluminum, 93.1 percent for lead, and 85.1 percent for zinc.

Japan imported 1,325 billion yen and exported 672 billion yen worth of non-ferrous metals in 2004.

This industry is well diversified by different types of production. For example, 5 major companies operate primarily in smelting, 7 major companies in rolled/extruded products and many more companies in the other segments play a role in fabricating non-ferrous metals into various products.