In October this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 5.7 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 13.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 375,000 metric tons. 60 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 40 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 remained the same compared to the previous month totaling 687,000 metric tons and were down by 17.6 percent year on year. 76 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 24 percent were held by steel traders.
In October, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 375,000 mt, up 5.9 percent month on month and decreasing 14.2 percent year on year.