In January this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments fell by 3.5 percent compared to the previous month and by 1.1 percent from 761,706 mt recorded in the same month of 2022, amounting to 677,060 metric tons. 73.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26.4 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 752,350 mt, rising by 13.0 percent month on month and declining by 17.0 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in January Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.22 million mt, moving up by 4.5 percent from the previous month and down by 4.7 percent year on year. 19.9 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 80.1 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.27 million mt, growing by 5.3 percent month on month and by 10.4 percent year on year.