Japan metal powder shipments see double-digit growth in first eight months 2017
November 20, 2017
The Japan Powder Metallurgy Association (JPMA) has reported that iron powder shipments, including exports, reached 74,728 tonnes in the eight months to August 2017, an increase of 14% compared with the same period last year. The trade association also reported that PM-grade copper-base powder shipments increased by 13.4% to 3,307 tonnes.
The growth in powder shipments reflected an 8% increase in domestic car production during the same period, with automakers reporting a total of 5.473 million units produced in the first eight months of 2017.
The JPMA reported that of the 108,514 tonnes of iron powder shipments for PM in Japan in 2016, over 95% went into automotive applications, while the majority of copper-based powders went into PM bearings, with 79% destined for the automotive sector.
