In March this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 23.6 percent compared to the previous month and declined by 0.7 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 576,000 metric tons. 51.9 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 48.1 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 eight percent from the previous month to 685,000 metric tons and were down 2.1 percent year on year. 71 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 29 percent were held by steel traders.
In March, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 517,000 mt, up 6.2 percent month on month and decreasing 6.2 percent year on year.