In February this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 11 percent month on month and were down by 14 percent on year-on-year basis, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. The country's CR sheet and strip shipments amounted to 551,955 metric tons in February, while 58 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 42 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in February, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories increased by five percent over the previous month, rising to 734,936 metric tons, and were up three percent year on year. 72 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 28 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in February was JPY 84,000/mt ($1,033/mt), decreasing JPY 2,000/mt ($24.6/mt) both from the previous month and year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 584,415 metric tons, increasing by eight percent over January and down seven percent year on year.