In August this year, Japan's industrial production decreased 1.3 percent from the previous month, showing a month-on-month decrease for the second consecutive month. Domestic industrial output showed a decrease of 4.3 percent from August in the previous year, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In August, the Japanese iron and steel production index decreased slightly by 0.1 percent year on year, while Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index remained stable in August compared to July. Meanwhile, in August Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments fell by 4.6 percent and iron and steel inventories were up by 0.7 percent, both compared to the previous month.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in August this year Japan produced 7.2 million mt of pig iron, up 1.3 percent, 68,469 mt of ferroalloys, down 6.9 percent, 9.2 million mt of crude steel, down 0.5 percent and 9 million mt of semi-finished steel, down 0.5 percent, all compared to July this year.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to decrease 2.9 percent in September and to be stable in October, both month on month.