In July this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments decreased by 9.7 percent compared to the previous month and fell by 10.7 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 383,870 metric tons. 54.2 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 45.8 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 4.4 percent compared to the previous month, totaling 655,917 metric tons, and were down by 16.3 percent year on year. 71.4 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 18.6 percent were held by steel traders.
In July, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 411,673 mt, up by 21.3 percent month on month and by 14.2 percent year on year.