In April this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by 15.7 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 17.7 percent compared to the same month of 2016, amounting to 662,000 metric tons. 83 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 17 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
In April, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 711,000 mt, up 0.8 percent month on month and falling 16.5 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in April, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.41 million mt, down 13.1 percent from the previous month and falling by three percent year on year. 24.8 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 75.2 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.41 million mt, decreasing by 4.9 percent month on month and down by 6.6 percent year on year.