In May this year Japan's crude steel output rose 50.2 percent year on year reaching the highest monthly output volume recorded since October 2008.
According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese pig iron production in May this year totaled 7.17 million metric tons, increasing by 47 percent year on year and up 7.3 percent compared to April. Meanwhile, the country's crude steel production in May amounted to 9.73 million metric tons, up 50.2 percent year on year and improving by 8.2 percent month on month.
Meanwhile, in the first five months of 2010, the country's pig iron output stood at 33.92 million metric tons, and its crude steel production came to 45.22 million metric tons, with increases of 42.8 percent and 51.7 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2009.
In May, Japan's steel section production amounted to 510,100 metric tons, up 27.3 percent, its bar production came to 847,300 metric tons, up 8.4 percent, its wire rod output was 158,300 mt, down 9.4 percent, heavy plate output reached 1,056,000 metric tons, up 16.3 percent, HR wide strip production was 3.99 million mt, up 5.8 percent, CR wide strip output amounted to 1.95 million mt, up 0.9 percent, galvanized sheet production totaled 1.12 million metric tons, up 0.4 percent and welded pipe output was 304,300 metric tons, decreasing by 6.9 percent, all compared to April.
