According to the Japanese Ministry of Trade (METI), overall demand for Japanese crude steel in the second quarter of the current year is expected to total 25.99 million mt, down 0.4 percent from the previous quarter and decreasing by 0.8 percent compared to the second quarter of last year.
Total demand for Japanese finished steel and semi-finished steel products, including exports, is expected to amount to 23.3 million mt in the second quarter this year, down 1.9 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter and remaining stable compared to the same quarter of 2016.