In March this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 12 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 11.7 percent compared to the same month of 2016, amounting to 785,000 metric tons. 80.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 19.4 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
In March, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 705,000 mt, down 3.03 percent month on month and falling 16.3 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in March, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.63 million mt, up 12 percent from the previous month and falling by 5.1 percent year on year. 28.8 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 71.2 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.49 million mt, increasing by 2.7 percent month on month and down by 8.4 percent year on year.