In September this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 8.3 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 7.9 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 498,000 metric tons. 53 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 47 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 2.2 percent from the previous month to 740,000 metric tons and were up 2.5 percent year on year. 74.9 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 25.1 percent were held by steel traders.
In September, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 481,000 mt, down 9.8 percent month on month and decreasing 5.7 percent year on year.