In May this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 3.27 percent compared to April and were up 3.08 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 888,297 metric tons. 78 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 22 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
In May, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.46 million mt, up 11.44 percent from April and down 0.81 percent year on year. 31 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 69 percent were made to the export markets. In May, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.47 million mt, up 15.8 percent month on month and up 2.49 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, the average domestic price for HR plate and sheet in Japan in May was JPY 81,000/mt (approx. $802/mt), unchanged from the previous month and up by JPY 6,000/mt (approx. $59/mt) compared with the same month of 2013.
The average domestic price for HR strip in the month in question was JPY 69,000/mt (approx. $683/mt), unchanged from the previous month and up by JPY 7,000/mt (approx. $69/mt) compared with the same month of 2013.