Japan’s copper producers may increase exports in coming years to make up for shrinking domestic demand as manufacturers head overseas to avoid higher costs and the impact on sales of a stronger yen, according to Pan Pacific Copper Co. Exports are expected to rise 16 percent to 505,000 metric tons this year, after slumping 17 percent to 437,000 tons in 2011 following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, said Akira Miura, executive officer of the marketing department at Pan Pacific, Japan’s top producer. Manufacturers from Panasonic Corp. (6752) and Honda Motor Co. (7267) to Sony Corp. (6758)and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) are moving production abroad after the yen reached a post-World War II high of 75.35 on Oct. 31, making exports less competitive. Costs at home are also increasing as Tokyo Electric Power Co. (5411) plans to raise electricity charges from April onhigher energy imports after the Fukushima nuclear accident last year.

‘The rebuilding demand may last for three years to 2014 and we cannot rule out the possibility that domestic consumption will decline below 800,000 metric tons a year from 2015,” Miura said by phone today. “With annual output capacity of 1.5 million tons at home, we may need to ship more metal to overseas to maintain the capacity level.” The industry has to develop better ore purchasing terms through investment in overseas mine projects and cutting shipping costs to China and Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, he said. In Japan, production may increase 13 percent to 1.545 million tons this year after dropping 14 percent last year, while demand may decline 5.4 percent to 1 million tons in 2012, even with rebuilding, Miura said. Last year, domestic demand fell 4.3 percent to 1.057 million tons, he said. The country’s imports will plunge 69 percent to 40,000 tons in 2012 after jumping almost threefold to 127,000 tons in 2011, the highest level since 2001, Miura said. Domestic metal producers running recycling and electronics- component plants are facing a cost increase of 5 billion yen ( million) a year as Tepco plans to increase power charges by an average 17 percent from April, Japan Mining Industry Association Chairman Nobumasa Kemori said on Jan. 26. As a leading global manufacturer of crushing and milling equipment, we offer advanced, rational solutions for any size-reduction requirements, including quarry, aggregate, grinding production and complete stone crushing station. We also supply individual [url=http://www.crusher-machine.com/24.html]dryer machine[/url] and [url=http://www.crusher-machine.com/28.html]rotary kiln[/url] as well as spare parts of them.