Japan produced 132,709mt of refined copper in May, down by 0.4pc from the prior-year period but rose by 12.8pc from the previous month, amid subdued domestic demand for copper products.
Shipments of copper metal, however, remained low in May at 109,694mt, down by 6pc from the prior-year period and down by 3pc from the previous month, according to Meti, Japan’s ministry of economy, trade and industry. Japan’s domestic demand remained weak in the April-June quarter as the country’s manufacturing operations remained largely closed due to the COVID-19 related shutdowns. Japan’s manufacturing industry is expected to show recovery from July.
Japan’s output of refined zinc dropped to 42,430mt in May, 7pc lower than in the prior-year period but up from 37,808mt in the previous month. Refined lead output rose by 8pc from May 2019 to 18,260mt.