According to the Japanese Ministry of Trade (METI), overall demand for Japanese crude steel in the fourth quarter of the current year is expected to total 26.51 million mt, up 1.5 percent from the previous quarter and decreasing 0.4 percent compared to the fourth quarter of last year.
Total demand for Japanese finished steel and semi-finished steel products, including exports, is expected to amount to 23.87 million mt in the fourth quarter this year, up 1.8 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter and falling by 1.6 percent compared to the same quarter of 2016. Of the estimated fourth quarter demand, exports are expected to account for 7.8 million mt, increasing by 2.2 percent from the third quarter this year and down 5.4 percent on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, of the total demand in the October-December period, 18.86 million mt is expected to be for ordinary steel, decreasing by 1.5 percent year on year and increasing by 1.6 percent compared to the previous quarter, while 5.01 million mt of demand is expected to be for special steel, down 1.7 percent year on year and increasing by 2.5 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter.