According to the Japanese Ministry of Trade (METI), Japanese demand for crude steel in the first quarter of 2016 is expected to total 26.31 million mt, down 0.6 percent from the previous quarter and decreasing by 1.6 percent compared to the first quarter of the current year.
Total demand for Japanese steel, including exports, is expected to reach 23.89 million mt in the first quarter, down 0.5 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter and down 2.8 percent compared to the same quarter of 2015. Of the estimated first quarter demand, exports are expected to account for 7.93 million mt, decreasing by 1.4 percent from the fourth quarter and down 6.4 percent on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, of the total demand in the January-March period, 19.24 million mt is expected to be for ordinary steel, decreasing by 2.4 percent year on year and by 0.9 percent compared to the previous quarter, while 4.65 million mt of demand is expected to be for special steel, down 4.2 percent year on year and increasing by 1.2 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter.