In August this year, Japan's iron and steel product exports amounted to 3.02 million metric tons, down 1.2 percent month on month and falling by four percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
In the January-August period of this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 22.4 million mt, declining by 10 percent, compared to the same period of 2018.
Regarding Japan's major iron and steel product export markets, in the first eight months of the year, the country's iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 3.63 million metric tons, up 1.1 percent, while exports to China decreased by 10.9 percent to 3.3 million metric tons, the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 1.4 million metric tons, down by 27.2 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 3.6 million metric tons, falling by 7.8 percent, while exports to the US totaled 923,337 metric tons, falling by 11.6 percent, all year on year.
SteelOrbis understands that higher Japanese HRC exports which increased by 17.6 percent year on year in August are a result of weak domestic demand in the country.
|
Exports |
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|
|
August 2019 (mt) |
Change m-o-m (%) |
January-August 2019 |
Change y-o-y (%) |
|
Semi-finished |
284,376 |
-22 |
2,177,849 |
-22.2 |
|
Bars |
30,667 |
-25.2 |
301,828 |
-5.6 |
|
Wire rod |
39,763 |
19.7 |
332,678 |
-10.2 |
|
Heavy plate |
175,931 |
-18.7 |
1,658,291 |
-10 |
|
1,114,294 |
10.3 |
7,049,318 |
-2.3 |
|
|
CRC |
183,004 |
-1.7 |
1,470,376 |
-10.5 |
|
Galvanized sheet |
194,248 |
-5.2 |
1,547,542 |
-15.2 |