In July this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by two percent compared to the previous month and were up by 17 percent compared to the same month of 2017, amounting to 819,000 metric tons. 76 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 24 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. Meanwhile, in July, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 775,000 mt, down 9.5 percent month on month and up 16.2 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in July, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.38 million mt, up 3.1 percent from the previous month and fell by 6.5 percent year on year. 34 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 66 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.29 million mt, decreasing by 11.3 percent month on month and down by 14.7 percent year on year.