In November last year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 11.0 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 19.0 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 496,660 metric tons. 55 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 45 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 remained almost unchanged compared to the previous month totaling 859,117 metric tons and were up by 21.8 percent year on year. 75 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 25 percent were held by steel traders.
In November, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 495,880 mt, up nine percent month on month and increasing 14.1 percent year on year.