In March this year, Japanese crude steel production increased both compared to the previous month and year-on-year, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Japanese crude steel production in March amounted to 9.3 million metric tons, rising 2.3 percent year on year and up 8.3 percent compared to February this year. Meanwhile, the country's pig iron production in March this year totaled 7 million metric tons, increasing by 9.8 percent month on month and up 3.5 percent year on year.
In the first quarter of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 20 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 26.6 million metric tons, with decreases of 3.5 percent and 4.1 percent both compared to the corresponding period of 2011.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in March and in the first quarter of 2012 are as follows:
Product | March 2012 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) | Q1 2012 | Y-o-y change (%) |
Hot rolled section | 522,400 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 1,470,000 | 2.9 |
Bar | 877,500 | 13.5 | 5.4 | 2,489,478 | 7.5 |
163,700 | 7.7 | 10.1 | 456,608 | -8 | |
Heavy plate | 1,185,100 | -2.7 | 16.8 | 2,958,300 | -8.3 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,840,100 | 3.5 | 12 | 10,817,000 | -3.8 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,832,500 | 3.3 | 7 | 5,259,700 | -5.2 |
Galvanized sheet | 1,074,700 | 4.7 | 7.7 | 3,093,100 | -0.5 |
Welded pipe | 316,300 | -11.9 | 0.7 | 929,100 | -7.5 |