In April this year, Japanese crude steel production decreased 2.7 percent compared to the previous month while it increased 7.6 percent year on year, totaling 9.07 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, the country's pig iron production in April this year totaled 6.7 million metric tons, decreasing by 4.7 percent month on month and up nine percent compared to the same month last year.
In the January-April period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 26.7 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 35.6 million metric tons, with decreases of 0.7 percent and 1.4 percent both compared to the corresponding period of 2011.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in April 2012:
Product | January 2012 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) |
Hot rolled section | 491,000 | -7.5 | -6 |
Bar | 834,900 | 1.14 | -4.9 |
Wire rod | 136,300 | -15.9 | -16.9 |
Heavy plate | 944,200 | -9 | -13 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,391,500 | 6.3 | -11.9 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,587,800 | -14.6 | 3.3 |
Galvanized sheet | 959,800 | -13.7 | 4.8 |
Welded pipe | 287,000 | -13.8 | -13.6 |