In September, Japan's iron and steel exports showed an increase in all major markets, indicating a rise both on a month-on-month and year-on-year basis. The country's iron and steel exports registered a month-on-month increase for the fifth successive month in September.
According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, the country's total iron and steel product exports in September this year amounted to 3.58 million metric tons, increasing by 4.9 percent month on month and up 4.3 percent compared to September 2008, generating a total of $3.08 billion in value. Meanwhile, Japanese iron and steel product imports in September rose by 5.3 percent over August and decreased by 29.6 percent year on year to 380,189 metric tons, reaching a total value of $434.24 million.
On the other hand, in the first nine months of the current year, Japan's total iron and steel product exports slid 20.5 percent year on year to 23.89 million metric tons.
Regarding Japan's major export markets, in September this year the country's iron and steel product exports to South Korea totaled 1.02 million metric tons, increasing by 10.9 percent month on month and up 10.8 percent year on year, exports to China amounted to 680,094 metric tons, increasing by nine percent over August and up 20.8 percent year on year, the export volume to Taiwan reached 387.773 metric tons, up 8.4 percent month on month and up 35.4 percent year on year, exports to Thailand totaled 350,332 metric tons, increasing by 19.1 percent over August but down 21.5 percent year on year, while exports to the US came to 73,220 metric tons, down 18.8 percent month on month and down 40.5 percent compared to September 2008.
In the January-September period of the current year, Japan's total iron and steel product imports came to three million metric tons, down 49.6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In September, Japan imported 186,165 metric tons of iron and steel products from South Korea, increasing by 16.5 percent over August and down 16.1 percent year on year, 75,992 metric tons from China, down 5.9 percent month on month and down 36.5 percent compared to September 2008, and 60,000 metric tons from Taiwan, increasing by 13.3 percent over August and up 6.7 percent year on year.
Exports | Imports | |||||
September 2009 (mt) | Change month on month (%) | Change year on year (%) | September 2009 (mt) | Change month on month (%) | Change year on year (%) | |
Semi-finished | 690,305 | 14 | 73.9 | 1,488 | 1186 | 435.8 |
Bars | 33,269 | -7 | -39.3 | 675 | -23.6 | -61.6 |
38,592 | 3.2 | -12,5 | 14,815 | -39.9 | 45.6 | |
Heavy plate | 322,911 | -3.6 | 3.2 | 13,326 | -2.1 | -16 |
808,274 | -5.8 | 13.9 | 100,514 | 14.9 | -4.1 | |
318,080 | 13.8 | 16.9 | 52,386 | 4.2 | -38.1 | |
Galvanized sheet | 392,193 | 13.9 | -11.5 | 25,495 | 8 | -16 |
Special steel | 465,581 | 0.9 | -16.9 | 17,293 | 6 | -13.2 |