18 March 1999: Japanese output of sheet glass in 1998 fell 18.3% to 26.02 million cases, declining for the first time in two years, according to the Flat Glass Manufacturers Association of Japan.
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18 March 1999: Japanese output of sheet glass in 1998 fell 18.3% to 26.02 million cases, declining for the first time in two years, according to the Flat Glass Manufacturers Association of Japan. Shipments dropped 11.6% to 27.91 million cases, marking the eighth year of decline in a row. One case contains roughly 47 kg. The drops stemmed from lower individual consumption and corporate capital spending. On top of a decline in new housing starts, demand from the automotive industry was also dragged down by weak sales of trucks and buses.