Japanese galvanized sheet output hits 15-month high in January
According to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data, in January this year Japan's galvanized sheet output totaled 1.1 million metric tons, increasing by 2.74 percent over December 2009 and up 74.36 percent year on year. This is the highest monthly output volume recorded since October 2008.
Meanwhile, total Japanese shipments of galvanized sheet and strip in January amounted to 1.08 million metric tons, rising by 2.58 percent month on month and climbing by 63.5 percent over January 2009. During the month in question, 61.13 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 38.87 percent were made to the export markets.
In January, Japan's galvanized sheet inventories increased by 2.48 percent over the previous month, reaching 925,000 metric tons, and were down 11.6 percent year on year. 64.94 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 35.06 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for galvanized sheet in Japan in January was JPY 98,000/mt ($1,084/mt), remaining unchanged compared to December, but down 10.91 percent year on year.
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