In February this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 5.8 percent month on month and were down by 3.3 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 533,735 metric tons in February, while 45.5 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 54.5 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in February, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by 6.4 percent from the previous month, to 651,158 metric tons, and were down 11.4 percent year on year. 69 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 31 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in February was JPY 78,000/mt ($808.6/mt), remaining unchanged from the previous month and down JPY 6,000/mt ($62/mt) year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 489,298 metric tons, decreasing by 8.8 percent from January 2012 and down 16.3 percent year on year.