Japanese hot rolled flat steel exports up 9.3 percent in Feb over Jan

According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's hot rolled flat steel exports totaled 1.04 million metric tons in February this year, increasing by 9.3 percent month on month and down 9.3 percent compared to February 2011. Meanwhile, in the January-February period of 2012, Japan's hot rolled steel exports amounted to 2 million metric tons, falling by 9.8 percent as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. In the first two months of this year, Japanese hot rolled steel exports to South Korea totaled 610,345 metric tons, falling by 20.6 percent, exports to Thailand came to 278,188 metric tons, rising 17.5 percent, while China’s hot rolled steel imports from Japan decreased by 19.9 percent to 216,825 metric tons, all compared to January-February 2011.