In June this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 10.4 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 43.6 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 259,000 metric tons. 58 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 42 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 declined by 5.7 percent from the previous month to 741,000 metric tons and were down by 9.2 percent year on year. 70 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 30 percent were held by steel traders.
In June, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 213,000 mt, down 26.5 percent month on month and decreasing 52.3 percent year on year.