In March this year, Japanese crude steel production was up 3.6 percent compared to the previous month and down 6.8 percent compared to March 2015, totaling 8.64 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in March of the current year Japan's pig iron production totaled 6.74 million metric tons, rising by 4.8 percent compared to the previous month and down by 5.6 percent year on year.
In the January-March period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 20 million metric tons, down 2.3 percent, while its crude steel production came to 25.7 million metric tons, falling 3.6 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
| Product | March 2016 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 494,500 | 5.4 | -7.2 |
| Bar | 760,000 | 7.5 | -8.5 |
| Wire rod | 158,900 | 17.7 | -5.4 |
| Heavy plate | 855,400 | 8 | -6.3 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,781,300 | 7.1 | -7 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,612,500 | 9,1 | -4.4 |
| Galvanized sheet | 933,100 | 8.4 | -9.2 |
| Welded pipe | 307,900 | -0.2 | -9.7 |