In January this year, Japan's iron and steel product exports amounted to 3.44 million metric tons, decreasing by 9.5 percent month on month and up 4.2 percent year on year, while Japan's iron and steel product imports totaled 748,620 metric tons, with a month-on-month growth of 2.7 percent and a year-on-year decrease of 18.5 percent, according to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance (JISF).
Regarding Japan's major iron and steel product export markets, in January the country's iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 551,116 mt, down 4.6 percent, while exports to China decreased by 12.07 percent to 404,490 mt, the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 341,959 metric tons, down 14.3 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 445,724 metric tons, down four percent, while exports to the US totaled 198,488 metric tons, increasing by 89.4 percent, all compared to the same period of 2014.
Exports | Imports | |||
January 2015 (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) | January 2015 (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) | |
Semi-finished | 444,744 | 1.43 | 9,768 | -69.5 |
Bars | 31,661 | 234.3 | 2,703 | -40 |
Wire rod | 60,902 | 13.3 | 7,616 | -35.8 |
Heavy plate | 290,741 | 28.4 | 63,547 | 11.4 |
HRC | 978,285 | 1.57 | 143,863 | -15.8 |
CRC | 224,789 | 0.8 | 89,841 | -19.5 |
Galvanized sheet | 257,632 | -15.8 | 59,400 | -12 |
Special steel | 676,174 | 7.5 | 95,855 | -23.2 |
Stainless steel | 86,504 | 4.3 | 13,988 | -27.5 |