In July this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 75.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 483,216 metric tons. 52 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 48 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in the given month, Japan’s CR sheet and strip inventories decreased two percent compared to the previous month totaling 773,501 metric tons and were up by 5.1 percent year on year. 77 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 23 percent were held by steel traders.
In July, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 467,109 mt, down 1.3 percent month on month and increasing 72.2 percent year on year.