In March this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 13.5 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 5.5 percent compared to the same month of 2017, amounting to 851,000 metric tons. 75.2 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 24.8 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. Meanwhile, in March, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 808,000 mt, up three percent month on month and 14.6 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in March, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.47 million mt, up ten percent from the previous month and falling by 9.3 percent year on year. 25.4 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 74.6 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.51 million mt, increasing by 12.4 percent month on month and down by three percent year on year.