In October this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 3.4 percent on month-on-month basis, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. The country's CR sheet and strip shipments amounted to 613,685 metric tons in October, while 53.75 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 46.25 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in October, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by 0.3 percent from the previous month, falling to 744,320 metric tons, and were up 3.2 percent year on year. 71.1 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 28.9 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for CR sheet and strip in Japan in October was JPY 86,000/mt ($1,106/mt), remaining unchanged from the previous month, and down 2.27 percent year on year from JPY 88,000/mt.
In the month in question, Japan's CR sheet and strip output totaled 612,483 metric tons, increasing by 4.4 percent over September and down 3.8 percent year on year.