In October this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments declined by 12.2 percent compared to the previous month and by 19.0 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 362,087 metric tons. 59.7 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 40.3 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 rose by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month, totaling 765,828 metric tons, and were down by 10.9 percent year on year. 73.8 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26.2 percent were held by steel traders.
In October, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 385,510 mt, moving up by 6.2 percent month on month and down by 15.2 percent year on year.