In May this year, Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 5.2 percent compared to the previous month but fell by 11.3 percent year on year to 362,937 mt, according to data from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). Of the total shipments, 49.3 percent were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 50.7 percent were directed to export markets.
Meanwhile, Japan’s CR sheet and strip inventories increased by 4.4 percent month on month and by 1.9 percent year on year to 669,319 mt. Steel manufacturers held 74.4 percent of the inventories, while steel traders accounted for the remaining 25.6 percent.
In May, Japan’s CR sheet and strip production amounted to 391,096 mt, rising by 16.9 percent month on month but decreasing by 3.5 percent year on year.
