In April this year, Japan's galvanized sheet shipments amounted to 922,964 metric tons, decreasing by 16 percent on month-on-month basis and up by 15 percent compared to April in the previous year, according to data from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). 67 percent of the country's galvanized sheet shipments in April were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 33 percent were made to the export markets.
Meanwhile, in April this year Japan's galvanized sheet inventories remained stable month on month at 1.05 million metric tons, and were down three percent year on year. 62 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 38 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for galvanized sheet in Japan in April was JPY 100,000/mt (approx. $1,269/mt), falling JPY 2,000/mt (approx. $25.4/mt) compared to the previous month and down JPY 3,000/mt (approx. $38.1/mt) year on year.
In the month in question, Japan's galvanized sheet output totaled 924,496 metric tons, decreasing by 15 percent from the previous month and up four percent year on year.