In August this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by 3.8 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 12.3 percent compared to the same month of 2017, amounting to 781,000 metric tons. 78 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 22 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. Meanwhile, in August, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 822,000 mt, up by six percent month on month and up by 3.8 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in August, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.42 million mt, up 2.8 percent from the previous month and fell by 10.4 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 1.46 million mt, increasing by 13 percent month on month and down by 8.1 percent year on year.