In May this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 4.5 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 3.3 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 412,287 metric tons. 42.3 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 57.7 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 rose by 4.7 percent compared to the previous month, totaling 852,222 metric tons, and were up by 6.2 percent year on year. 72.7 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 27.3 percent were held by steel traders.
In May, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 450,376 mt, moving up by 27.5 percent month on month and declining by 3.3 percent year on year.
