In March this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 17 percent month on month and were up by one 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 643,363 metric tons in March, while 52 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 48 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in March, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by seven percent from the previous month, to 683,831 metric tons, remaining stable year on year. 69 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 31 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in March was JPY 82,000/mt ($1,029/mt), decreasing JPY 2,000/mt ($25.1/mt) from the previous month and down JPY 4,000/mt ($50.2/mt) year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 592,258 metric tons, increasing by one percent over February and down three percent year on year.