According to the statistics released by Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in May 2009 totaled 4.87 million metric tons, decreasing by 35 percent year on year, and up 11.2 percent compared to April 2009. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production amounted to 6.48 million metric tons, down 38.5 percent year on year, increasing by 13.1 percent month on month.
In the January-May period of this year, Japan's pig iron production reached 23.75 million metric tons, decreasing by 35.6 percent, while crude steel production totaled 29.82 million metric tons, down 42.1 percent, both compared to the same period of the previous year.
In May 2009 Japan's section production amounted to 424,400 metric tons, down 38.8 percent, bar production to 825,600 metric tons, down 37.1 percent, wire rod output to 128,900 mt, down 42.8 percent, HR wide strip production to 2.5 million mt, down 37.1 percent, and cold rolled wide strip output to 1.17 million mt, down 42.6 percent, all compared to May 2008.
