In February this year, Japanese crude steel production was down by 4.3 percent compared to the previous month and by 5.3 percent compared to February 2022, totaling 6.91 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in the given month Japan’s pig iron production totaled 4.98 million metric tons, declining by 6.4 percent compared to the previous month and by 4.8 percent year on year.
In the January-February period this year, the country’s crude steel output stood at 14.13 million metric tons, down by 6.1 percent, while its pig iron production came to 10.31 million metric tons, falling by 6.6 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
Product |
February 2023 (mt) |
M-o-m change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
Hot rolled section |
402,100 |
-1.1 |
+4.2 |
Bar |
625,000 |
+5.1 |
-2.2 |
103,900 |
+1.8 |
-2.4 |
|
Heavy plate |
723,200 |
-5.3 |
-7.1 |
Hot rolled wide strip |
2,724,600 |
-6.7 |
-7.0 |
Cold rolled wide strip |
1,117,000 |
-6.1 |
-5.4 |
Galvanized sheet |
681,100 |
-5.1 |
+1.1 |
Welded pipe |
233,000 |
+3.8 |
-18.6 |
