In December last year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 1.1 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 7.7 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 446,000 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 6.7 percent from the previous month to 765,000 metric tons and were up 8.4 percent year on year. 72 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 28 percent were held by steel traders.
In December, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 391,000 mt, down 8.6 percent month on month and decreasing 21.8 percent year on year.