According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan's iron and steel product exports in November 2011 amounted to 3.05 million metric tons, decreasing by 15 percent compared to the same month of 2010 and down by 10 percent month on month, while Japan's steel imports hit 788,150 metric tons, with a month-on-month decrease of four percent and a year-on-year increase of 22 percent.
Regarding Japan's major steel export markets, in November 2011, the country's steel exports to South Korea totaled 606,216 mt, down 6.7 percent, while steel exports to China decreased by 3.9 percent to 510,464 metric tons; the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 286,086 metric tons, down 18.3 percent; exports to Thailand totaled 244,083 metric tons, down 48.7 percent; while exports to the US came to 186,540 metric tons, increasing by 40.8 percent, all compared to the previous month.
In November 2011, Japan imported 418,116 metric tons of steel from South Korea, down 1.7 percent, it imported 113,331 metric tons from China, down by 21 percent, while imports from Taiwan came to 86,181 metric tons, increasing by 4.1 percent, all compared to October 2011.
Exports | Imports | ||||||
November 2011 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | November 2011 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | ||
Semi-finished | 409,806 | -22 | -18 | 37,063 | -33 | 798 | |
Bars | 27,096 | -7 | -20 | 3,033 | -16 | 37 | |
32,360 | -25 | -30 | 24,074 | -15 | 38 | ||
Heavy plate | 309,349 | 7 | -6 | 58,548 | -11 | 191 | |
644,077 | -14 | -14 | 169,510 | -8 | 13 | ||
276,051 | -3 | -14 | 89,595 | -4 | 13 | ||
Galvanized sheet | 340,128 | -16 | -22 | 66,280 | - | 34 | |
Special steel | 564,091 | -6 | -8 | 30,891 | -19 | 11 | |