In May this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by nine percent month on month and were up 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 564,811 metric tons in May, while 48 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 52 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in May, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by two percent from the previous month, to 660,337 metric tons, down 14 percent year on year. 70 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 30 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in May was JPY 82,000/mt ($1,026/mt), stable compared to the previous month and down JPY 5,000/mt ($62.6/mt) year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 552,192 metric tons, increasing by nine percent from April and up three percent year on year.