According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, the country's total iron and steel product exports in October this year amounted to 3.43 million metric tons, decreasing by four percent month on month, but up 14.5 percent compared to October 2008, generating a total of $3.16 billion in value. Meanwhile, Japanese iron and steel product imports in October rose by 41.4 percent over September and decreased by 34.3 percent year on year to 537,600 metric tons, reaching a total value of $556.9 million.
On the other hand, in the first ten months of the current year, Japan's total iron and steel product exports slid 17.4 percent year on year to 27.33 million metric tons.
Regarding Japan's major export markets, in October this year the country's iron and steel product exports to South Korea totaled 985,950 metric tons, decreasing by 3.4 percent month on month, but up 61 percent year on year, exports to China amounted to 567,558 metric tons, declining by 16.5 percent over September and down 4.3 percent year on year, the export volume to Taiwan reached 335,947 metric tons, down 13.4 percent month on month and up 21.2 percent year on year, exports to Thailand totaled 411,509 metric tons, increasing by 17.5 percent over September but down 1.3 percent year on year, while exports to the US came to 140,332 metric tons, climbing by 91.6 percent month on month but down 6.7 percent compared to October 2008.
In the January-October period of the current year, Japan's total iron and steel product imports came to 3.53 million metric tons, down 47.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In October, Japan imported 225,192 metric tons of iron and steel products from South Korea, increasing by 21 percent over September and down 22.7 percent year on year, it imported 75,692 metric tons from China, down 0.3 percent month on month and down 50.1 percent compared to October 2008, while imports from Taiwan came to 59,716 metric tons, decreasing slightly by 0.5 percent over September and down 14.4 percent year on year.
Exports | Imports | |||||
October 2009 (mt) | Change month on month (%) | Change year on year (%) | October 2009 (mt) | Change month on month (%) | Change year on year (%) | |
Semi finished | 513,533 | -26.6 | 65.8 | 309 | -79.2 | -98.7 |
Bars | 40,472 | 21.6 | -32.5 | 2,580 | 282.4 | 68.2 |
Wire rod | 25,891 | -32.9 | -23.2 | 14,104 | -4.8 | -19.3 |
Heavy plate | 351,389 | 8.8 | 19.9 | 6,086 | -54.3 | -70.7 |
HRC | 820,565 | 1.7 | 53.8 | 119,375 | 18.8 | -13.5 |
CRC | 300,568 | -5.5 | 6.9 | 67,029 | 28.2 | -28.5 |
Galvanized sheet | 396,592 | 1.1 | -17.3 | 33,032 | 29.6 | -6.3 |
Special steel | 498,226 | -4 | 14.5 | 18,570 | -3.8 | -3.6 |