2013 Five Region Fastener Association Conference was successfully held on 19 June in Shanghai, China as the concurrent activity of 2013 Fastener Expo Shanghai. Mr. Katsuyoshi Okawa, vice chairman of the Fasteners Institute of Japan, introduced the general situation of Japan’s fastener industry in 2012.

Mr. Katsuyoshi Okawa, vice chairman of the Fasteners Institute of Japan

According to the calculation by Fasteners Institute of Japan, the total production volume of Japan’s fasteners increased by 7.1% to 2.96 million tons and the total production value grew by 8.3% to JPY 854.9 billion in 2012 while compared with 2011. However, while compared with the highest record in 2007, 2012’s production volume decreased by 11.4% and the value fell by 5.1%. 

In 2012, no matter in terms of fastener import or export, Japan saw a slight increase in comparison with 2011. 2012 fastener import volume was 226,000 tons, up 3.9% year-on-year and the import value was JPY 65.3 billion, up 2.1% year-on-year. 2012 fastener export volume was 322,000 tons, up 5.7% year-on-year and the export value was JPY 247.9 billion, up 6.9% year-on-year. 

The increase of fastener output could be ascribed to the aspects of the promising demand of power generation by sunlight, the growing demand of semiconductor companies for oversea development, the increase construction of housings, and the increase demand of automobiles due to the subsidy policy and tax reduction policy on energy-saved automobiles in first half of 2012.   

In regard to fastener import, both the import volume and import value saw an increase, especially the import volume broke historic record. The import origins were mainly from mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, America and so on. In regard to fastener export, the export destinations were America, mainland China, Thailand etc. where many Japanese enterprises operates production activities. The export to these Japanese enterprises was the main reason for the increase of fastener export.    

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