In June this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments increased by 11.3 percent compared to the previous month and were up by 6.2 percent compared to the same month of 2018, amounting to 888,000 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 June, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 864,000 mt, up 5.2 percent month on month and up 0.8 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in June, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.37 million mt, down 3.6 percent from the previous month and rose by 2.5 percent year on year. 28 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 72 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.48 million mt, increasing by 7.9 percent month on month and up by 2.3 percent year on year.