In May this year, Japanese crude steel production was up four percent compared to the previous month and down 0.9 percent compared to May 2015, totaling 8.84 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in May of the current year Japan's pig iron production totaled 6.84 million metric tons, rising by five percent compared to the previous month and up by one percent year on year.
In the January-May period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 33.42 million metric tons, down 0.9 percent, while its crude steel production came to 43.18 million metric tons, falling two percent, both on year-on-year basis.
| Product | May 2016 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 496,800 | 11.1 | -10.2 |
| Bar | 812,400 | 3.8 | -1.2 |
| 157,200 | 6.9 | 12.3 | |
| Heavy plate | 799,200 | -7.4 | -3.25 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,718,000 | 5.9 | - |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,548,200 | 9.2 | - |
| Galvanized sheet | 861,900 | 6.14 | -3.8 |
| Welded pipe | 280,300 | -6.3 | -2.3 |