In December last year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by seven percent compared to the previous month and were up by two percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 496,000 metric tons. 52.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 47.4 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in the given month, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by two percent from the previous month to 666,000 metric tons and were down 3.9 percent year on year. 74 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26 percent were held by steel traders.
In December, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 483,000 mt, down 3.4 percent month on month and decreasing 1.1 percent year on year.