In November 2011, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by 11 percent on month-on-month and by 10 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 968,661 metric tons. 74 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in November, Japan's HR plate and sheet inventories increased by eight percent over the previous month, rising to 732,184 metric tons, and were up nine percent year on year. 83 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 17 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for HR plate and sheet in Japan in November 2011 was JPY 85,000/mt (approx. $1,104/mt), decreasing JPY 2,000/mt ($26/mt) compared to the previous month and up 2.4 percent year on year from JPY 83,000/mt.
In the month in question, Japan's HR plate and sheet output totaled 1.02 million metric tons, decreasing slightly by 0.4 percent from the previous month and down three percent year on year.