In August this year, Japanese crude steel production was down by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month and fell by 7.8 percent compared to August last year, totaling 8.12 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). In the given period, Japan’s crude steel production from basic oxygen furnaces decreased by 2.9 percent month on month and by 6.8 percent year on year to 6.35 million mt, while production from electric arc furnaces decreased by 4.3 percent month on month and by 11.5 percent year on year to 1.76 million mt.
In the January-August period of this year, the country's crude steel production came to 67.59 million metric tons, falling by 3.7 percent year on year. In the first eight months, Japan’s crude steel production from basic oxygen furnaces decreased by 3.3 percent year on year to 51.16 million mt, while production from electric arc furnaces decreased by five percent year on year to 16.43 million mt.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
|
Product |
August 2019 (mt) |
M-o-m change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
|
Hot rolled section |
421,800 |
-2.5 |
-12.1 |
|
Bar |
687,700 |
-3.9 |
-5 |
|
Wire rod |
128,600 |
-8.9 |
-14.3 |
|
Heavy plate |
803,000 |
-5.9 |
-4.7 |
|
Hot rolled wide strip |
3,493,900 |
+1.6 |
-4.4 |
|
Cold rolled wide strip |
1,414,200 |
-4.2 |
-7.6 |
|
Galvanized sheet |
823,300 |
-4.3 |
-5.6 |
|
Welded pipe |
287,700 |
-12.8 |
-12.8 |