According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's cold rolled steel coil and sheet exports totaled 277,662 metric tons in December last year, rising by 18.85 percent month on month and up 15.5 percent compared to December 2011.
In the whole of 2012, Japan's cold rolled steel exports decreased by 14.4 percent compared to the previous year, amounting to 3.2 million mt. The country's cold rolled steel exports had also recorded a 7.3 percent year-on-year decrease in 2011.
In 2012, China was Japan's largest cold rolled steel export destination, receiving a total of 1 million metric tons, down 14.6 percent compared to 2011, while Japan's exports to Thailand in 2012 amounted to 395,409 metric tons, falling by 7.5 percent compared to 2011.