In February, Japanese crude steel production saw its third straight month-on-month increase.
According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in February this year totaled 6.57 million metric tons, decreasing by 10.6 percent year on year and up 4.8 percent compared to January. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production in February amounted to 8.93 million metric tons, up 5.7 percent year on year and falling by 7.5 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, in the January-February period of 2011, the country's pig iron output stood at 13.93 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 18.58 million metric tons, with respective increases of 6.6 percent and 8.2 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2011.
In February, Japan's steel section production amounted to 480,000 metric tons, up 6.8 percent, its bar production came to 784,600 metric tons, up 4.1 percent, its wire rod output was 165,700 mt, down 6.4 percent, heavy plate output reached 1.03 million metric tons, down five percent, HR wide strip production was 3.59 million mt, down 9.1 percent, CR wide strip output amounted to 1.78 million mt, down 10.3 percent, galvanized sheet production totaled one million metric tons, down 7.2 percent, and welded pipe output was 317,100 metric tons, increasing slightly by 0.4 percent, all compared to January.