According to the preliminary data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japan's carbon steel product shipments in September totaled 6.19 million metric tons, decreasing by 14.1 percent year on year, and up 9.6 percent compared to August. 61.65 percent of the shipments were made to the domestic market, with the rest going to the export markets.
Meanwhile, during the month in question, Japan's inventory of carbon steel products amounted to 5.58 million metric tons, down 14.5 percent year on year and down 4.4 percent over August. Of the total inventory, 78.29 percent was held by producers, with the remaining 21.71 percent held by dealers.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, Japan's crude steel output in September totaled 8.27 million metric tons, decreasing slightly by 0.5 percent month on month, and down 18 percent compared to September last year.