In May this year, Japanese crude steel production increased by five percent compared to the previous month, while it rose by 4.3 percent year on year, totaling 9.6 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). Japanese crude steel production had witnessed a one percent month-on-month increase in April this year.
Meanwhile, Japan's pig iron production in May this year totaled 7.2 million metric tons, increasing by 6.1 percent month on month and up 5.4 percent compared to the same month last year.
In the January-May period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 34.6 million metric tons, rising 3.2 percent, while its crude steel production came to 45.4 million metric tons, rising by 1.3 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2012.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in May 2013:
Product | May 2013 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) |
Hot rolled section | 539,400 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
Bar | 879,600 | -1.4 | 6.1 |
186,400 | -0.7 | 25.3 | |
Heavy plate | 899,900 | -4.8 | 1.7 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,859,100 | 2.1 | 6.1 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,764,800 | 0.9 | 7.2 |
Galvanized sheet | 1,048,600 | -0.4 | 7.2 |
Welded pipe | 327,800 | 2.4 | -2 |