In July this year, Japanese crude steel production increased 0.7 percent compared to the previous month, while it rose by 1.2 percent year on year, totaling 9.26 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). In July, Japanese crude steel production increased on month-on-month basis for the fifth consecutive month.
Meanwhile, the country's pig iron production in July this year totaled 7.1 million metric tons, increasing by 4.1 percent month on month and up 0.5 percent compared to the same month last year.
In the January-July period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 47.4 million metric tons, rising by just 0.2 percent, while its crude steel production came to 63.3 million metric tons, rising also by 0.2 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2011.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in July 2012:
Product | June 2012 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) |
Hot rolled section | 427,900 | 13.3 | -13.8 |
Bar | 814,900 | 5.6 | -3.5 |
Wire rod | 148,700 | 1.3 | 10.8 |
Heavy plate | 988,200 | -0.1 | 2.6 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,684,800 | 0.5 | -1.7 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,773,300 | 1.4 | -3.7 |
Galvanized sheet | 1,077,900 | 5.4 | 0.2 |
Welded pipe | 305,200 | 4.3 | -1.4 |