In August this year, Japanese crude steel production was down 0.7 percent compared to the previous month and up 1.5 percent compared to August 2015, totaling 8.92 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in August of the current year Japan's pig iron production totaled 7.0 million metric tons, rising by one percent compared to the previous month and up by 1.4 percent year on year.
In the January-August period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 54.03 million metric tons, down 0.2 percent, while its crude steel production came to 69.94 million metric tons, falling 0.4 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
| Product | August 2016 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 447,700 | -0.4 | -8.6 |
| Bar | 709,600 | -6.1 | -8.0 |
| 143,500 | -6.8 | -10.9 | |
| Heavy plate | 909,100 | 10.4 | 13.3 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,899,000 | 2.7 | 1.7 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,600,000 | 1.2 | 4.2 |
| Galvanized sheet | 882,800 | -3.2 | -1.3 |
| Welded pipe | 294,900 | -2.2 | 1.7 |