In August this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 10.0 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 27.3 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 433,176 metric tons. 50 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 50 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 increased 8.7 percent compared to the previous month totaling 846,357 metric tons and were up by 15.7 percent year on year. 78 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 22 percent were held by steel traders.
In August, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 501,075 mt, up 6.5 percent month on month and increasing 49.3 percent year on year.