In August this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 8.4 percent both compared to the previous month and were up by 1.1 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 470,000 metric tons. 53 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 47 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 7.2 percent from the previous month to 760,000 metric tons and were up 3.3 percent year on year. 77 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 23 percent were held by steel traders.
In August, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 521,000 mt, up by 8.5 percent month on month and declining by 2.2 percent year on year.