In December last year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 5.9 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 14.8 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 467,127 metric tons. 51 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 49 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 decreased by 3.5 percent compared to the previous month totaling 828,417 metric tons and were up by 19.9 percent year on year. 74 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26 percent were held by steel traders.
In December, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 431,490 mt, down 12.9 percent month on month and increasing 9.9 percent year on year.