In April this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 20 percent month on month and were up by 11 percent on year-on-year basis, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. The country's CR sheet and strip shipments amounted to 516,353 metric tons in April, while 52 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 48 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in April, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by two percent from the previous month, to 672,814 metric tons, down seven percent year on year. 72 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 28 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in April was JPY 82,000/mt ($1,033/mt), stable compared to the previous month and down JPY 5,000/mt ($63/mt) year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 505,584 metric tons, decreasing by 15 percent from March and up eight percent year on year.