In March this year, Japanese crude steel production was up 15.1 percent compared to the previous month, while it increased by 2.9 percent year on year, totaling 9.73 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in March Japan's pig iron production totaled 7.07 million metric tons, increasing by 13.6 percent compared to the previous month and down 1.5 percent year on year.
In the first quarter of the current year, the country's pig iron output stood at 20.51 million metric tons, decreasing by 0.2 percent, while its crude steel production came to 27.58 million metric tons, increasing by 3.5 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in March 2014:
| Product | Mar.14 | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 550,700 | 2.8 | 4.5 |
| Bar | 848,000 | 3.4 | -7.1 |
| Wire rod | 179,100 | 16.2 | -16.5 |
| Heavy plate | 907,200 | 9.9 | -0.8 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 4,081,900 | 16.2 | 0.9 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,854,300 | 16.4 | 2.5 |
| Galvanized sheet | 1,136,200 | 18.4 | 5.2 |
| Welded pipt | 350,100 | 5.2 | -7.6 |