The Japan Copper and Brass Association announced preliminary production volume for the first half of fiscal 2026. Demand from the automotive, AI and data center sectors is supporting overall demand, while weak housing starts and competition from overseas products keep some segments in an adjustment phase.
The Japan Copper and Brass Association held a press conference at its association office in Ueno, Tokyo, and announced that preliminary production volume for the first half of fiscal 2026 was 338,207 tonnes, up 3.2% from the same period a year earlier. Demand from the automotive sector and the AI and data center-related sectors is driving growth and providing a foundation for overall demand.
However, weak housing starts, delays to construction schedules and competition from overseas products are affecting some applications, and the adjustment phase is expected to continue. Chairman Kato Kazuteru (加藤 和照) said that “a strong overall recovery has yet to materialize.”
No specific timing or figures were given for the outlook, but the association indicated that the pace of demand growth in the automotive and data center sectors, which support expanding demand, and the delayed recovery in the construction sector remain challenges.