In May this year, Japanese crude steel production was up by 5.1 percent compared to the previous month and increased by 1.7 percent compared to May 2025, totaling 6.95 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 5.04 million metric tons, increasing by 5.8 percent compared to the previous month and up by 1.7 percent year on year.
In the first five months of this year, the country’s crude steel output stood at 33.61 million metric tons, down by 0.7 percent, while its pig iron production came to 24.25 million metric tons, decreasing by 1.1 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 2026 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 347,800 | -3.1 | -5.3 |
| Bar | 602,500 | -1.0 | 2.4 |
| Wire rod | 122,000 | 19.5 | 16.8 |
| Heavy plate | 714,600 | 6.5 | -0.3 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 2,952,200 | 8.1 | 4.1 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,085,400 | 0.8 | -9.6 |
| Galvanized sheet | 677,100 | 4.9 | -2.0 |
| Welded pipe | 217,700 | -7.7 | 0.3 |