EES,
What does this do to copper stocks? Are the Japanese gearing up production due to improving economic outlook in Asia? Do they plan to dump copper on us like they dumped steel? Who needs the extra lead? What do they need it for? I hope it's fishing sinkers and not bullets. These and many other key economic questions are bothering my golf swing.
NW
Japan 1999/00 H1 copper, zinc output set to rise
TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) - Japan's eight non-ferrous metal
smelting and refining companies plan to raise their total output
of copper and zinc in the first half of 1999/2000 from the
year-ago period, according to semiannual production schedules
released this week.
Copper output is forecast to rise 2.7 percent year-on-year to
668,833 tonnes in the six months ending on September 30, while
zinc output is projected to rise 7.4 pct to 325,339 tonnes.
The higher refined copper output reflects a rise in Nikko
Mining and Metals Co Ltd's <5716.T> production capacity last
December, industry sources said.
Lead output is expected to rise 2.0 percent from a year
earlier to 128,700 tonnes.
The eight companies are: Mitsubishi Materials Corp <5711.T>,
Nippon Mining and Metals Co Ltd <5716.T>, Mitsui Mining and
Smelting Co Ltd <5706.T>, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd <5713.T>,
Dowa Mining Co Ltd <5714.T>, Furukawa Co Ltd <5715.T>, Toho Zinc
Co Ltd <5707.T> and Nittetsu Mining Co Ltd <1515.T>.
Production plans for the first half of 1999/2000, output
estimates for the latter half of 1998/99 and actual results from
the first half of 1998/99 were as follows (in tonnes). Totals
will exceed Japan's actual production levels due to double
counting of metal refined on a tolling basis.
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