Japan October ethylene output up 19.1 pct yr/yr-METI

TOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Japanese ethylene production rose 19.1 percent in October from a year earlier, when the global economic crisis first began to take its toll and Asian petrochemical makers cut production sharpely to offset the fall in demand.

Ethylene output totalled 631,400 tonnes last month, up from 530,400 tonnes a year earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said.

A pick-up in the global economy and strong plastics demand from China, Asia's top petrochemical importer, led many firms to restore production earlier this year, but expectations of weaker demand have seen them reduce runs this autumn. [ID:nSP443549]

October saw no maintenance-related plant shutdowns in Japan, while one plant had been shut for the month last year.

Ethylene, made from naphtha, is a basic feedstock for petrochemicals that are processed into products such as plastics.

The export volume of ethylene doubled to 248,300 tonnes in September from a year earlier. The October export figures have not yet been released. (Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Chris Gallagher)