In August, Japanese crude steel production regressed for the third straight month, as compared to the previous month, after having reached its peak level for 2010 in the month of May. Meanwhile, the year-on-year change in the country's crude steel production represented the slowest expansion in the last 10 months. Japanese steel output is expected to decrease further, in line with slowing demand in Asia.
According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in August this year totaled 6.84 million metric tons, increasing by 9.7 percent year on year and down 3.4 percent compared to July. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production in August amounted to 8.9 million metric tons, up 7.1 percent year on year and falling by 3.5 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, in the January-August period of 2010, the country's pig iron output stood at 54.69 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 72.7 million metric tons, with increases of 34.1 percent and 38.1 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2009.
In August, Japan's steel section production amounted to 370,600 metric tons, down six percent, its bar production came to 684,000 metric tons, down 6.5 percent, its wire rod output was 137,600 mt, down 3.9 percent, heavy plate output reached 1.09 million metric tons, up nine percent, HR wide strip production was 3.81 million mt, up 1.2 percent, CR wide strip output amounted to 1.92 million mt, down 5.6 percent, galvanized sheet production totaled 1.17 million metric tons, down one percent, and welded pipe output was 296,500 metric tons, decreasing by 7.1 percent, all compared to July.
