According to the provisional data released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, in December 2011 Japan's iron and steel product exports came to 3.1 million metric tons, increasing by 2.5 percent month on month and down 15.4 percent as compared to the same month of the previous year, while these exports generated a value of JPY 287 billion ($3.7 billion), decreasing 11.4 percent compared to December 2010 and up five percent on month-on-month basis.
Meanwhile, in 2011 Japan's iron and steel product exports amounted to 40.9 million metric tons, decreasing by five percent compared to 2010, while these exports generated a value of JPY 3.7 trillion ($47.6 billion), increasing one percent compared to 2010.
In 2011, Japan's iron and steel product exports to the US increased by 36.1 percent to 1.9 million metric tons, its exports to the EU decreased by 12.3 percent to 500,000 metric tons, while iron and steel exports to China decreased by 8.2 percent to 6.8 million metric tons, exports to the Middle East rose by 4.3 percent to 1.5 million metric tons, and iron and steel exports to the ASEAN countries fell by 0.8 percent to 11.2 million metric tons, all compared to 2010.