According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan's iron and steel product exports in December 2011 amounted to 3.13 million metric tons, decreasing by 15 percent compared to the same month of 2010 and up by 2.5 percent month on month, while Japan's steel imports hit 745,129 metric tons, with a month-on-month decrease of 5.5 percent and a year-on-year increase of 29.6 percent.
In 2011, Japan's iron and steel exports totaled 41.24 million mt, decreasing five percent compared to 2010, while the country's iron and steel imports amounted to 8.3 million mt, up 15 percent over 2010.
Regarding Japan's major steel export markets, in 2011 the country's steel exports to South Korea totaled 8.85 million mt, down 19 percent, while steel exports to China decreased by eight percent to 6.9 million metric tons; the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 3.5 million metric tons, down five percent; exports to Thailand totaled 4.6 million metric tons, down four percent; while exports to the US came to 2 million metric tons, increasing by 34 percent, all compared to 2010.
In 2011, Japan imported 2.95 million metric tons of steel from South Korea, up 30 percent, it imported 638,146 metric tons from China, up by six percent, while imports from Taiwan came to 818,219 metric tons, increasing by 16 percent, all compared to 2010.
Exports | Imports | ||||||
December 2011 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | December 2011 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | ||
Semi-finished | 353,882 | -13.6 | -14 | 43,205 | 16.6 | 2543 | |
Bars | 32,718 | 20.75 | 26.6 | 3,564 | 17.5 | 8.85 | |
37,548 | 16 | -20.76 | 22,032 | -8.5 | 156.5 | ||
Heavy plate | 282,389 | -8.7 | -17.4 | 49,283 | -15.8 | 114.6 | |
703,452 | 9.2 | -12.5 | 149,955 | -13.3 | 5.8 | ||
244,147 | -11.5 | -32.2 | 81,814 | -8.7 | 30.5 | ||
Galvanized sheet | 370,218 | 8.8 | -19.9 | 60,462 | -8.8 | 62.5 | |
Special steel | 592,650 | 5 | -14 | 49,079 | 58.9 | 89 | |