In April this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 19.6 percent compared to the previous month and declined by 11.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 466,230 metric tons. 53.8 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 46.2 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in April, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories increased by 0.94 percent from the previous month to 706,962 metric tons and were up 5.3 percent year on year. 71 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 29 percent were held by steel traders.
In the given month, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 472,874 mt, down 14.3 percent month on month and decreasing 11.3 percent year on year.