In February this year, Japanese crude steel production was down 4.8 percent compared to the previous month and down one percent compared to February 2015, totaling 8.35 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in February of the current year Japan's pig iron production totaled 6.43 million metric tons, falling by 6.6 percent compared to the previous month and up 0.8 percent year on year.
In the first two months this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 13.3 million metric tons, down 0.6 percent, while its crude steel production came to 17.1 million metric tons, falling 1.9 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
| Product | February 2016 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 469,000 | 2.9 | -5.4 |
| Bar | 714,700 | 0.4 | -5.6 |
| Wire rod | 134,400 | -15.2 | -12.2 |
| Heavy plate | 792,100 | -5.1 | -7.8 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,523,300 | -4.3 | 2.4 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,477,900 | -7.4 | 1.4 |
| Galvanized sheet | 863,200 | -6.8 | -1.4 |
| Welded pipe | 302,200 | -0.4 | -7.5 |