FROM THE EDITOR
In the previous volume of the Nalk Report, we reported on the production status of Japanese aluminum sheets (6.0 mm thickness or more) related to the plates for aluminum manufacturing equipment, indicating how the figures in October 2024 would point to the direction of demand recovery for the time being. It can be noted that the production of plates in October 2024 totaled 6,740 tons, up 6.4% from the previous month, growing consecutively for 3 months. The figures for 2022 and 2023 were negative growth from the month earlier by 5.2% and 4.9%, respectively.

Figure: Production Trends of Plates (6.0 thickness or more)

According to the announcement by SEMI on December 10, the global sales for semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 2026 is estimated to reach a record high of $139 billion (approx. ¥20 trillion). Thus, it is expected that plate demand will continue to grow steadily for the time being. On the other hand, shipments of rolled products for automotive applications such as ABS have been affected by the misconduct regarding model certification on the part of various automotive manufacturers since the beginning of 2024, causing instability in domestic automobile production. However, the issue has been more or less been resolved by the latter half of the year, resulting in the gradual recovery in production. Automotive applications will undoubtedly play a central role in the growth of rolled products in the future.