In April this year, Japanese crude steel production dropped by 4.7 percent month on month, after hitting a 17-month high in March.
According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in April this year totaled 6.68 million metric tons, increasing by 52.4 percent year on year and down 4.7 percent compared to March. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production in April amounted to 8.99 million metric tons, up 56.7 percent year on year and falling by 3.8 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, in the first four months of 2010, the country's pig iron output stood at 26.76 million metric tons, and its crude steel production came to 35.5 million metric tons, with increases of 41.8 percent and 52.2 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2009.
In April, Japan's steel section production amounted to 405,300 metric tons, down 16 percent, its bar production came to 780,900 metric tons, down 1.83 percent, its wire rod output was 177,000 mt, up 2.6 percent, heavy plate output reached 908,900 metric tons, down 21.5 percent, HR wide strip production was 3.78 million mt, down 8.1 percent, CR wide strip output amounted to 1.93 million mt, down 11.5 percent, galvanized sheet production totaled 1.11 million metric tons, down nine percent and welded pipe output was 309,900 metric tons, decreasing by 7.4 percent, all compared to March.