According to the Japanese Ministry of Trade (METI), Japan’s crude steel output is forecast to decrease 10.7 percent year on year to 21.11 million mt in the October-December quarter this year.
Domestic demand for finished steel is forecast to fall by 10.7 percent year on year in the given quarter to 13.25 million mt, while finished steel exports are expected to drop by 8.7 percent year on year to 6.21 million mt due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, in the October-December quarter demand for ordinary steel from the construction sector is forecast to decrease by 11.4 percent to 4.6 million mt compared to the same quarter of the previous year. As regards the machinery sector, demand is anticipated to decline 3.3 percent year on year to 1.01 million mt.