In June this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 8.8 percent compared to the previous month and by 22.3 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 377,812 metric tons. 56.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 43.4 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 declined by 0.2 percent compared to the previous month, totaling 850,641 metric tons, and were up by 7.7 percent year on year. 73.3 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 26.7 percent were held by steel traders.
In June, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 376,262 mt, moving down by 16.8 percent month on month and by 20.5 percent year on year.