In March this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 22.3 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 5.2 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 604,000 metric tons. 51 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 49 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 5.4 percent from the previous month to 651,000 metric tons and were down 5.5 percent year on year. 74 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26 percent were held by steel traders.
In March, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 568,000 mt, up 15.4 percent month on month and increasing 9.6 percent year on year.