Japanese steel exports drop by 2. 3 percent in earthquake-hit March

In March this year, when a disastrous earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis hit Japan, Japanese steel exports declined by 2.3 percent year on year to 4.08 million mt. These exports generated a value of JPY 363.26 billion ($4.45 billion), up 11.3 percent compared to March 2010.
 
In the given month, Japan's iron and steel product exports to the US climbed by 123 percent to 243,000 metric tons, its exports to the EU rose by 96.2 percent to 70,000 metric tons, while iron and steel exports to China increased by four percent to 690,000 metric tons, exports to the Middle East dropped by 10.2 percent to 162,000 metric tons, and iron and steel exports to the ASEAN countries dropped by one percent to 1,012,000 metric tons, all compared to March 2010.
 
As SteelOrbis previously reported, in March this year Japan's crude steel production saw a drop on year-on-year basis for the first time in 17 months, totaling 9.09 million metric tons, down 2.7 percent year on year.