In June this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by two percent compared to the previous month and were up by 15 percent compared to the same month of 2017, amounting to 841,000 metric tons. 77 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 23 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. Meanwhile, in June, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 857,000 mt, up 6.6 percent month on month and up 18 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in June, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.44 million mt, up 10.8 percent from the previous month and rose by 6.5 percent year on year. 32 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 68 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.45 million mt, increasing by 5.3 percent month on month and up by 11.1 percent year on year.