In April this year, Japanese crude steel production was down eight percent compared to the previous month, while it decreased by 2.5 percent year on year, totaling 8.94 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in April Japan's pig iron production totaled 6.61 million metric tons, decreasing by 6.5 percent compared to the previous month and was down 2.8 percent year on year.
In the first four months of the current year, the country's pig iron output stood at 27.12 million metric tons, decreasing by 0.9 percent, while its crude steel production came to 36.51 million metric tons, increasing by two percent, both on year-on-year basis.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in April 2014:
| Product | April 2014 | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 486,100 | -11.7 | -1.9 |
| Bar | 831,200 | -2.0 | -6.8 |
| Wire rod | 166,300 | -7.2 | -11.4 |
| Heavy plate | 913,700 | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,545,400 | -13.6 | -2.5 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,703,900 | -8.1 | 3.5 |
| Galvanized sheet | 990,800 | -12.1 | 1.3 |
| Welded pipe | 313,200 | -14.3 | -6.3 |