In January this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 2.3 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 4.2 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 397,486 metric tons. 59 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 41 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 5.6 percent compared to the previous month totaling 729,567 metric tons and were down by 10.2 percent year on year. 79 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 21 percent were held by steel traders.
In January, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 436,589 mt, up 11.3 percent month on month and decreasing 4.9 percent year on year.