TOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The amount of rubber used to make tyres in Japan rose 7.2 percent in July from a year earlier to 112,753 tonnes, data from the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers' Association showed on Friday.
Tyres shipped domestically in July contained a total of 55,570 tonnes of rubber, up 4.0 percent from a year earlier. Exported tyres contained 59,543 tonnes, up 11.6 percent.
For the first seven months of 2003, the amount of rubber used to make tyres in Japan rose 8.3 percent from a year earlier to 732,946 tonnes, the association said.
For that period, tyres shipped domestically contained a total of 341,067 tonnes of rubber, up 0.8 percent from a year earlier, while exported tyres contained 389,036 tonnes, up 16.9 percent.