Japan's crude steel
production increased 3.3 percent year on year in 2006 to 116.2 million metric tons, the third largest annual output figure on record, the
Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) said on Friday, January 19, 2007.
In 2006, Japanese steelmakers turned out more than 100 million metric tons of crude steel for the seventh consecutive year.
The output increase reflects strong domestic demand from automakers and shipbuilders as well as brisk exports to
China and South
Korea, JISF officials said.
Production of specialty steel, which is used for motor vehicles and machinery, grew 3.9 percent to 25.2 million metric tons in 2006. In addition, output of ordinary steel amounted to 90.7 million metric tons, up 3.1 percent year on year.
The highest-ever annual
production figure for crude steel in
Japan is 119.32 million metric tons registered in 1973, followed by 117.13 million metric tons in 1974.
The JISF also said the nation's crude steel
production in December stood at 10.05 million metric tons, up 10.6 percent over a year earlier.