In June this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 13.9 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 88.3 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 484,769 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 1.5 percent compared to the previous month totaling 789,735 metric tons and were up by 6.8 percent year on year. 77 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 23 percent were held by steel traders.
In June, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 472,182 mt, up 1.5 percent month on month and increasing 124.1 percent year on year.