In July this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 7.2 percent compared to the previous month and declined by 1.45 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 526,339 metric tons. 51.7 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 48.3 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in July, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by 3.4 percent from the previous month to 710,000 metric tons and were up 8.4 percent year on year. 73.66 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26.34 percent were held by steel traders.
In the given month, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 502,000 mt, up 0.4 percent month on month and decreasing 6.34 percent year on year.