In May this year, Japanese crude steel production was down by ten percent compared to the previous month and fell by 31.8 percent compared to May 2019, totaling 5.92 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in the given month Japan's pig iron production totaled 4.4 million metric tons, decreasing by 10.2 percent compared to the previous month and down by 32.7 percent year on year.
In the January-May period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 27.73 million metric tons, down by 11.5 percent, while its crude steel production came to 36.6 million metric tons, falling by 13.5 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
Product |
May 2020 (mt) |
M-o-m change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
Hot rolled section |
399,500 |
-0.6 |
-15.4 |
Bar |
661,500 |
-6.1 |
-11.7 |
Wire rod |
89,600 |
-23.5 |
-30.6 |
Heavy plate |
699,600 |
-0.4 |
-16.3 |
Hot rolled wide strip |
2,298,300 |
-13.1 |
-32.1 |
Cold rolled wide strip |
980,000 |
-7.4 |
-33.1 |
Galvanized sheet |
540,400 |
-12.8 |
-37.3 |
Welded pipe |
205,200 |
-20.9 |
-32 |