According to the provisional data released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, in September this year Japan's steel exports came to 3.3 million metric tons, decreasing by 5.4 percent month on month and down 11.8 percent as compared to the same month of the previous year, while these exports generated a value of JPY 303.5 billion ($4 billion), down 4.6 percent compared to September 2010 and down 3.9 percent on month-on-month basis.
In the given month, Japan's iron and steel product exports to the US increased by 25.7 percent to 171,000 metric tons, its exports to the EU decreased by 4.3 percent to 45,000 metric tons, while iron and steel exports to China decreased by 1.5 percent to 580,000 metric tons, exports to the Middle East rose by 27.7 percent to 129,000 metric tons, and iron and steel exports to the ASEAN countries dropped by eight percent to 948,000 metric tons, all compared to September 2010.
Meanwhile, in the first half of the current Japanese fiscal year (ended September 30) Japan's steel exports totaled 20.156 million metric tons, decreasing by six percent as compared to the same period of the previous year, while these exports generated a value of JPY 1.87787 trillion ($24.79 billion), down 1.3 percent year on year. In the same period, Japanese steel imports reached 3,936,300 mt, increasing by six percent year on year.