In the first half of this year, Japan's galvanized sheet output amounted to 5.97million mt, up 2.55 percent compared to the same period of 2013. In June, the country's galvanized sheet output decreased by 8.11 percent compared to May but was up 4.42 percent year on year, amounting to 953,430 mt, according to data from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
In the first half of the current year, Japan's galvanized sheet shipments increased by 1.16 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The country's galvanized sheet shipments amounted to 5.94 million metric tons, while 72 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market and the remaining 28 percent were made to the export markets. In June this year, Japan's galvanized sheet shipments amounted to 986,803 mt, remaining unchanged as compared to May, but up 3.17 percent from the same month last year.
Meanwhile, in June Japan's galvanized sheet inventories fell 3.07 percent month on month to 1.04 million metric tons, but were up 11.21 percent year on year. 59 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 41 percent were held by steel traders.