In November last year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 10.51 percent compared to October and were up 12.23 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 935,627 metric tons. 73.93 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26.07 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
In November, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.46 million mt, up 20.52 percent from October and up 10.04 percent year on year. 30.71 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 69.29 percent were made to the export markets. In November last year, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.39 million mt, up 13.52 percent month on month and up 6.92 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, the average domestic price for HR plate and sheet in Japan in November last year was JPY 80,000/mt (approx. $762/mt), up by JPY 1,000/mt (approx. $9.5/mt) compared to the previous month and increasing by JPY 6,000/mt (approx. $57/mt) compared with the same month of 2012.
The average domestic price for HR strip in November was JPY 67,000/mt (approx. $639/mt), up by JPY 2,000/mt (approx. $19/mt) compared to the previous month and indicating an increase of JPY 9,000/mt (approx. $85/mt) compared with the same month of 2012.