In July this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by four percent both compared to the previous month and the same month of 2017, amounting to 515,000 metric tons. 54 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 46 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 4.2 percent from the previous month to 711,000 metric tons and were up 6.4 percent year on year. 75 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 25 percent were held by steel traders.
In July, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 483,000 mt, down 2.6 percent month on month and increasing 6.1 percent year on year.