In February this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 3.9 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 11.9 percent compared to the same month of 2020, amounting to 631,323 metric tons. 76 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 24 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In February, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 644,048 mt, falling by one percent month on month and down by 15.5 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in February, Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.28 million mt, rising by 0.7 percent from the previous month and falling by 5.8 percent year on year. 23 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 77 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.24 million mt, decreasing by 8.8 percent month on month and down by 8.1 percent year on year.