Indium market enjoys Japanese demand boom

摘要

THE improved outlook for some of the minor metals markets this year has been boosted no doubt by the sudden surge in demand for specialty metals in Japan. Perhaps the star performer has been indium, where demand for indium tin oxide (ITO) targets for thin film technology in, for instance, liquid crystal displays. While Japan's industrial sector, including the majority of the electronics producers, has experienced a rocky patch, the computer screen manufacturers have enjoyed a boom period. The biggest supplier in the Japanese market has been Sharp, with NEC and Toshiba following close behind. The rush to produce flat screens, and develop further technology in this sector, has seen a flurry of other leading Japanese electronics groups rush to open plants dedicated to this sector. The result has been overwhelming for demand in the Japanese market. Imports in the first five months of this year rose to 30 tonnes of indium compared with 27 tonnes in the first half of last year, according to figures from Miti. This might not appear much, but when import figures for 1994 are compared with those for the previous year, the picture becomes a little clear. Japan imported 87 tonnes of indium in 1994 compared with just 47 tonnes in 1993. Figures for Japan's domestic indium production are difficult to ascertain, but when estimates are added to import figures and target recycling levels, the size of Japan's LCD sector comes into focus.