In December last year, Japanese crude steel production was down by three percent compared to the previous month and decreased by 4.8 percent compared to December 2024, totaling 6.57 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in the given month Japan’s pig iron production totaled 4.81 million metric tons, decreasing by 0.5 percent compared to the previous month and by 6.9 percent year on year.
In 2025, the country’s crude steel output stood at 80.68 million metric tons, down by four percent compared 2024, while its pig iron production came to 58.45 million metric tons, decreasing by 4.2 percent.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
| Product | December 2025 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 370,000 | -2.6 | 2.5 |
| Bar | 525,700 | -9.7 | -7.1 |
| Wire rod | 125,500 | 13.5 | 8.4 |
| Heavy plate | 668,500 | -2.1 | -0.1 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 2,779,800 | -4.1 | -8.3 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,018,100 | -9.9 | -6.8 |
| Galvanized sheet | 657,400 | 4.9 | -0.3 |
| Welded pipe | 229,400 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
