Japan releases steel export-import data for August

According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, the country's total iron and steel product exports in August this year amounted to 3.59 million metric tons, increasing by 7.6 percent month on month and up 5.2 percent compared to August 2009, generating a total of $3.83 billion in value.

Meanwhile, Japanese iron and steel product imports in August dropped by 2.6 percent over July and were up 73.4 percent year on year to 626,287 metric tons, reaching a total value of $828.8 million.

Regarding Japan's major export markets, in July the country's iron and steel product exports to South Korea totaled 935,538 metric tons, increasing by 17.6 percent month on month and up 1.6 percent compared to August 2009; exports to China rose slightly by 0.3 percent as compared to July and amounted to 606,748 metric tons, down 2.7 percent year on year; the export volume to Taiwan reached 278,976 metric tons, up 41.2 percent month on month and decreasing by 22 percent year on year; exports to Thailand totaled 439,156 metric tons, increasing by 19.9 percent over July and up 49.3 percent compared to the year-ago period; while exports to the US came to 134,039 metric tons, decreasing by 10.1 percent month on month and up 48.6 percent year on year.

In August, Japan imported 232,598 metric tons of iron and steel products from South Korea, up 1.3 percent over July and up 45.6 percent year on year, it imported 117,301 metric tons from China, decreasing by 23.9 percent month on month and up 45.3 percent year on year, while imports from Taiwan came to 71,213 metric tons, improving by 0.3 percent over the previous month and up 34.4 percent year on year.