In May this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 12.2 percent compared to the previous month and declined by 4.2 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 479,000 metric tons. 51.1 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 48.9 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 4.9 percent from the previous month to 746,000 metric tons and were up 2.7 percent year on year. 72.1 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 27.9 percent were held by steel traders.
In May, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 514,000 mt, up 14.2 percent month on month and decreasing one percent year on year.