October 23, 2007
| FY 2006 1st half |
FY 2006 2nd half |
FY 2007 1st half |
FY 2007 2nd half |
FY 2007
2nd half production plan |
||
| Result (A) | Result (B) | Result (C) | Plan (D) | Over FY 2006 2nd half (D/B) |
Over FY 2007 1st half (D/C) |
|
| Total | 7,010 | 7,280 | 7,060 | 7,330 | 101% | 104% |
| Plate & strip | 2,500 | 2,600 | 2,400 | 2,650 | 102% | 110% |
| Tube | 2,240 | 2,300 | 2,400 | 2,250 | 98% | 94% |
| Bar & wire | 1,130 | 1,130 | 1,100 | 1,130 | 100% | 103% |
| Functional surface | 1,140 | 1,250 | 1,160 | 1,300 | 104% | 112% |
| FY 2007 2nd half production plan: | 101% over the same half of the previous year |
| 104% over the previous half |
Plate & strip
The market was sluggish in the first half of FY 2007.
Although the automotive market stayed at a high-level, those for semiconductors and connectors remained in an adjustment phase, resulting in a low production volume as a whole.
In the second half of FY 2007, it is expected that the production volume will grow because the automotive market stays strong, and the connector market shows an upward momentum since around this August.
The semiconductor market remains unclear, but it is expected to be near to recovery because the IC-related market is favorable, and the discrete device-related market is gradually growing.
Tube
The room-air conditioner market, which accounts for a major demand for copper tubes, was smaller than last year on a refrigeration-year basis (from October to September next year). The sales showed a little recovery due to the heat wave in August, but it was not so large as to compensate for the drop occurred in July.
Production of copper tubes held a level higher than last year until this August, but the dealing with air-conditioner manufacturers deaccelerated after September, so that it is expected to be rather sluggish in the second half.
Bar & wire
The demand in the first half of FY 2007 was lower than that in the same half of the previous year due to the sluggish demand related with the plant and equipment investment.
Although buying inventory sales products for filling current needs tends to continue under the influence of the elevated copper price, the actual demand remains strong so that the demand in the second half of FY 2007 is expected to be on a par with last year’s. The inventory sales products of our Company include bus bar as a bar product and FullAce as a wire product.
Functional surface
The production volume in the first half of 2007 turned out to be lower than expected, because although the automotive market was favorable, the consumer connector market declined in addition to the sluggish switch market.
A high level of production is expected in the second half of 2007, since heavy production is expected for the automotive market together with recovery of the connector market.