Japan’s crude steel output posts decline
Japan's crude steel production fell 3.3 percent year on year in November. The Japanese Iron and Steel Federation disclosed that the country's crude steel production amounted to 9.14 million metric tons in November. In addition, November production represents a month-on-month decrease of 5.6 percent. For the January-November 2005 period, crude steel output reached 103.4 million metric tons, up 0.2 percent from a year earlier.