In September this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 12.6 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 20.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 481,717 metric tons. 47 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 53 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 5.8 percent compared to the previous month totaling 850,902 metric tons and were up by 23.8 percent year on year. 76 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 24 percent were held by steel traders.
In September, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 481,712 mt, down 3.6 percent month on month and increasing 36.1 percent year on year.