In March this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments rose by 11.4 percent compared to the previous month and were down by four percent from 876,136 mt recorded in the same month of 2022, amounting to 841,457 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month. 67.0 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 33.0 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 818,194 mt, increasing by 14.5 percent month on month and declining by 3.4 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in March Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.47 million mt, moving up by 17.7 percent from the previous month and dropping by 0.4 percent year on year. 23.3 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 76.7 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.50 million mt, growing by 35.0 percent month on month and by 8.2 percent year on year.