In January this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by four percent compared to the previous month and were down by 13.6 percent compared to the same month of 2020, amounting to 607,129 metric tons. 79 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 21 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In January, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 650,959 mt, falling by 0.4 percent month on month and down by 11.4 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in January, Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.28 million mt, rising by 0.7 percent from the previous month and falling by 7.9 percent year on year. 28 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 72 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.37 million mt, increasing by 8.7 percent month on month and down by 12.7 percent year on year.