ASUKA ALUMINIUM NEWS NO. 618 DECEMBER 2012
Comparison of yearend metals prices 2011-2012
Two phases of market
The yearend market of nonferrous metals showed a small increase or flat in yen
compared with last yearend. As yen went down 5 per cent, the international market
was almost unchanged in dollar.
Contrarily, the market of steel went down clearly. It is thought that the declinereflects the slowing down of actual economy through the year. The shrunk demand
naturally pushed down its market prices.
At the nonferrous metals market, the huge volume is piled up in LME warehousesby the investors supported with ultra low money rate. The accumulated aluminum
ingot at LME warehouses reached record high, 5.17 million ton, on November 20.
Outlook in 2013
The European national debt crisis still goes slow on a difficult process, and besides,
China’s economy clearly shows a slowdown. Both would bring distinctly a dull world
economy.
It is worried that the international economic relation would breakup by the higher
unemployment rate, or any troubles of the financial support. Many major countrieselected or elect new leaders, whose competences are greatly expected for a peacefuland prosperous world.
Notes for the table on page one(1) primary aluminum (2) zinc diecast alloy (3) copper listed (4) lead listed(5) zinc listed (6) tin (7) nickel (8) steel bar (9) steel sheet (10) steel scrap ( 11)aluminum scrap TENSE <US cent/lb> (12) fuel oil <yen/liter> (13) gold <yen/gram>(14) yen/US dollar
unit: yen/ton except (11), (12), (13) and (14).
Our winter holidays
We are pleased to announce that our winter holidays are as follows.
December 29 (Saturday) - January 6 (Sunday)
Yearend comments
Great thanks
Masanao Okada, Director
A three years has passed since I was inducted to director. During past three years
the planning, constructing and removing of our new plant were very complicated anddifficult works for me, and I worked and worked for it. Over all, the completion ceremony could be held in March with our commemoration of 70th anniversary.
We owe our favorable removal to new plant to all our business contacts andconcerns, and I sincerely express a great thanks.
Today, we recall the founders’ spirit of 70 years ago, and would like to make efforts
to overcome all difficulties coming one after another in the future. At the yearend, Ireport you that our relocation to new plant is over uneventfully with a great support
by all our concerns, and I appreciate all what you have done for us this year.
Fraudulence and bully
Hisashi Amano, Chairman
Our newspapers every day report that some swindlers cheat the elderly out of their
big money and that some students, junior and high, bully their classmates. Since
early childhood, we have been taught that we ought to respect the elderly, and at thesame time, we ought to establish a better friendship among classmates. Therefore, I
can’t understand these unhappy social phenomena at all.
The imposters use grandsons’ name of the elderly with artful words through phone,and let the elderly transfer a large sum of money to the imposters’ bank accounts. In
actual fact, the amount of offence by such telephone fraudulences totaled 11.7 billion
yen during the first ten months of 2012, the Police Agency revealed.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education said recently that the reports of bullying atschool are some hundreds a month. Actually, some students killed themselves causedby bullying this year.
Some weeks ago, the Minister of Education rejected the applications of universities’
establishment already approved by the major board, and after only few days she gave
up and approved them under a big opinion attack. It was too disgraceful andthoughtless.
Instead, she must study the first step of moral philosophy herself from somereligious educators at once, I believe. If not, we never need the Minister and theMinistry of Education in JapanThe 29th New Year praying meeting opens
It was recently announced that the 29th New Year praying meeting will be held on
January 18 at the Kira Kanko Hotel in Mikawa Bay National Park, where the 80
delegates from scrap suppliers are invited.
Customarily, Chairman, Hisashi Amano will have a talk entitled “New Year random
talk” at the hotel, and then the all attendants are going to visit Kannon Temple on thetop of Mt. Sangane by bus.
The praying meeting for business prosperity and traffic safety in New Year will beheld solemnly at the temple, and then a grand New Year party will open generously in
traditional Japanese fashion at the hotel.
Successful and informative meeting is expected.
Company news
Some months passed since we relocated, and at last everything and everyone havebecome steady down, and trees and flowers are planted by employees. The photo on
page four is our front gate.
May the coming New Year be happy and prosperous for every reader of Asuka
Aluminium News in the whole world.
The Japan of today
Auto export to China plummet 82%
Japan’s auto exports to China tumbled 82% on the year in October on a customs
clearance basis, one of the more striking figures among trade statics released recentlyby the Ministry of Finance.