In October this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 6.7 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 19.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 448,718 metric tons. 50 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 50 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 0.3 percent compared to the previous month totaling 855,140 metric tons and were up by 24.3 percent year on year. 74 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26 percent were held by steel traders.
In October, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 451,587 mt, down 6.4 percent month on month and increasing 20.4 percent year on year.