In May this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 4.6 percent compared to the previous month and were up by four percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 497,000 metric tons. 53.5 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 46.5 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 5.4 percent from the previous month to 721,000 metric tons and were down 3.6 percent year on year. 72.8 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 27.2 percent were held by steel traders.
In May, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 534,000 mt, up 5.1 percent month on month and increasing 3.7 percent year on year.