In May this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by 11.0 percent compared to the previous month and were down by 6.3 percent compared to the same month of 2020, amounting to 645,474 metric tons. 75 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 25 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In May, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 744,420 mt, rising by 5.2 percent month on month and up by 8.6 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in May, Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.40 million mt, rising by 19.5 percent from the previous month and increasing by 40.7 percent year on year. 27 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 73 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.47 million mt, increasing by 12.6 percent month on month and up by 57.6 percent year on year.