Panasonic visits Asian Metal

Masanobu Yoshimi, chief director of global purchasing department, Trading Company, Panasonic Corporation and Wang Xin, manager of Beijing Division of Panasonic International (Shanghai) Corporation visited Asian Metal and communicated with Erin Zhao, principal of rare earth products, for future market trend on the afternoon of January 11, 2012.

Mr. Yoshimi started the conversation with saying, “As a member of Asian Metal, I come to meet with the principal of related product of Asian Metal after I arrived in Beijing this morning in my business trip to China. Hope that we could share more information of rare earth between Chinese and Japanese markets.”

And then, he noted that, as a downstream user of rare earth products, Panasonic Corporation needs many rare earth products including neodymium metal, NdFeB magnets, europium oxide, and dysprosium. He will have to go to Baotou the next morning in order to learn prices of rare earth, supply and market tendencies.

On current economy in Japan, Mr. Yoshimi commented that Japanese economy has not recovered to the normal level yet, hit by the horrible earthquake happened in March 2011 and the devastating flood in Thailand late last year, though it has been a long time since then. Currently, Japanese market sees a stronger demand for dysprosium compared with other rare earth products. In addition, other countries outside China are able to provide rare earth technology as well as neodymium metal with lower price than China’s FOB price.

Mr. Yoshimi and Mr. Wang added although debt crisis in US and Europe hits Japanese economy to some extent, the fallout is not as bad as expected.

There are only 11 Chinese rare earth export companies in 2012, and Japanese participants desire for rare earth information in many ways in order to make accurate and timely judgment on the market trend. Buying activity may be delayed due to the holiday as the Chinese New Year is approaching.

At last, Mr. Yoshimi and Mr. Wang made a good wish of Asian Metal, hoping to have more communication with Asian Metal.

Founded by Konosuke Matsushita in 1918, Panasonic has diversified its products into home appliance, digital AVC, business-use equipment, and aerospace segments. Trading Company, Panasonic Corporation is in charge of purchasing and marketing for Panasonic global business, and Panasonic International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trading Company, Panasonic Corporation in China, engages in import and export of raw materials and electronic parts as well as provides relative service with Panasonic’s companies in China and overseas operations. Panasonic International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was founded in July 2003 with registered address at Waigaoqiao, Shanghai and office at Lujiazui, Pudong, with setting divisions in Hangzhou, Beijing, and Dalian.

The company’s business content includes resin material, metal (copper and aluminum ingot), metal products(aluminum die castings, fin, aluminum flake, castings), steel, battery components(inorganic chemicals, rare earth material, spares and parts), lighting material, testing machine, slim TV components, motor, electronic parts, semi-conductor, single battery, battery pack component, vehicle-mounted camera.