Trends in Metal Consumption Faced by East Asia Producers

Consumption trends are important to both suppliers and buyers. This paper considers the likely metal consumption trends that East Asia metal producers will face in the future. Specifically, the paper centers on the annual consumption trends of the metals - aluminum, copper, lead, tin, and zinc - over the years 1976-2001. The first step taken is a documentation of metal consumption by region and individual countries of special interest to East Asia. The second step taken is a documentation of the economic trends of the individual countries. The third step taken is a comparison of the observed trends in metal consumption with the concurrent economic trends. Hypotheses about the links between metal consumption and economic trends are developed and tested using correlation coefficient and multiple-regression methods. Conclusions about the likely future trends as based on the empirical results are reached.