In July, Japanese crude steel production regressed for the second straight month, as compared to the previous month, after having reached its peak level for 2010 in the month of May.
According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in July this year totaled 7.09 million metric tons, increasing by 24.6 percent year on year and up 3.6 percent compared to June. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production in July amounted to 9.22 million metric tons, up 20.4 percent year on year and falling by 1.4 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, in the January-July period of 2010, the country's pig iron output stood at 47.85 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 63.8 million metric tons, with increases of 38.5 percent and 43.9 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2009.
In July, Japan's steel section production amounted to 400,200 metric tons, down 16.9 percent, its bar production came to 731,400 metric tons, down 10.3 percent, its wire rod output was 144,300 mt, down 13.6 percent, heavy plate output reached one million metric tons, down 0.4 percent, HR wide strip production was 3.78 million mt, down six percent, CR wide strip output amounted to 2.03 million mt, up 3.7 percent, galvanized sheet production totaled 1.19 million metric tons, up 2.1 percent and welded pipe output was 303,800 metric tons, decreasing by 6.1 percent, all compared to June.
