In December last year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 2.5 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 22.6 percent compared to the same month of 2020, amounting to 776,182 metric tons. 72 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 28 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In December, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 780,897 mt, rising by 3.3 percent month on month and up by 19.4 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in December Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.32 million mt, falling by 2.2 percent from the previous month and increasing by 3.9 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 1.38 million mt, increasing by 2.2 percent month on month and up by 10.4 percent year on year.