In August this year, Japanese crude steel production decreased 0.5 percent compared to the previous month, while it rose by 3.3 percent year on year, totaling 9.2 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). In August, Japanese crude steel production recorded a decrease on month-on-month basis after five consecutive months of increase.
Meanwhile, the country's pig iron production in August this year totaled 7.2 million metric tons, increasing by 1.3 percent month on month and up 3.4 percent compared to the same month last year.
In the January- August period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 54.6 million metric tons, rising by just 0.6 percent, while its crude steel production came to 72.5 million metric tons, rising by 0.5 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2011.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in August 2012:
Product | August 2012 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) |
Hot rolled section | 434,200 | 5.3 | 1.9 |
Bar | 726,200 | 0.8 | -10.6 |
146,800 | 17.3 | -0.2 | |
Heavy plate | 945,800 | -7.7 | -4.4 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,858,400 | 2.5 | 4.4 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,817,300 | -1.8 | 0.9 |
Galvanized sheet | 1,067,400 | 0.9 | -0.2 |
Welded pipe | 305,200 | 0.6 | -3.4 |