In February this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 11.2 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 13.1 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 382,812 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 by two percent compared to the previous month totaling 871,474 metric tons and were up by 21.3 percent year on year. 74 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26 percent were held by steel traders.
In February, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 400,224 mt, down 11.7 percent month on month and 6.6 percent year on year.