In July this year, Japan's industrial production decreased 1.2 percent from the previous month, showing a decrease for the first time in two months. Domestic industrial output showed a decrease of one percent from July in the previous year, according to the preliminary Indices of Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In July, the Japanese iron and steel production index increased two percent year on year, while Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index decreased one percent in July compared to June. Meanwhile, in July Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments rose by 1.7 percent and iron and steel inventories were down by 1.5 percent, both compared to the previous month.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in July this year Japan produced 7.1 million mt of pig iron, up 4.1 percent, 73,549 mt of ferroalloys, down 6.4 percent, 9.25 million mt of crude steel, up 0.6 percent, 9.03 million mt of semi-finished steel, up 0.5 percent, and 6.3 million mt of hot rolled steel, down 0.7 percent, all compared to June this year.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to increase 0.1 percent in August and to decrease 3.3 percent in September, both month on month.