In August this year, Japanese crude steel production was up by 6.6 percent compared to the previous month and fell by 20.6 percent compared to August 2019, totaling 6.45 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 4.77 million metric tons, increasing by nine percent compared to the previous month and down by 25.6 percent year on year.
In the first eight months of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 41.06 million metric tons, down by 19.3 percent, while its crude steel production came to 54.72 million metric tons, falling by 19 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
Product |
August 2020 (mt) |
M-o-m change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
Hot rolled section |
378,900 |
-7.8 |
-10.2 |
Bar |
653,100 |
-7.4 |
-5.0 |
Wire rod |
101,300 |
6.7 |
-21.2 |
Heavy plate |
696,400 |
6.7 |
-13.3 |
Hot rolled wide strip |
2,827,200 |
14.2 |
-19.7 |
Cold rolled wide strip |
1,086,100 |
16.3 |
-23.2 |
Galvanized sheet |
608,900 |
15.3 |
-26.0 |
Welded pipe |
219,400 |
-7.8 |
-25.8 |