In October this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 10.1 percent on month-on-month basis, amounting to 1.09 million metric tons. 72 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 28 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in October, Japan's HR plate and sheet inventories decreased by nine percent over the previous month, falling to 679,754 metric tons, and were down 1.45 percent year on year. 82 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 18 percent were held by steel traders.
The average domestic price for HR plate and sheet in Japan in October was JPY 87,000/mt (approx. $1,119/mt), remaining unchanged compared to the previous month and up 4.82 percent year on year from JPY 83,000/mt.
In the month in question, Japan's HR plate and sheet output totaled 1.03 million metric tons, increasing by 2.5 percent over September and down 3.2 percent year on year.