In April this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 17.6 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 0.6 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 472,000 metric tons. 56.7 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 43.3 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 increased by 2.8 percent from the previous month to 702,000 metric tons and were up 2.6 percent year on year. 74.3 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 25.7 percent were held by steel traders.
In April, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 491,000 mt, down 4.1 percent month on month and decreasing 3.3 percent year on year.