In November this year, Japan's industrial production decreased 1.7 percent from the previous month, showing a month-on-month decrease after two months of upward movement, while a decrease of 5.8 percent was recorded compared to November of the previous year, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
According to the report, fabricated metals was one of the main industrial segments which contributed to the month-on-month decrease in November. Japanese seasonally adjusted fabricated metals output index in November was down by 5.1 percent, while the seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index in the month in question decreased by 2.3 percent, both month on month. Japan's original iron and steel production index in November this year fell by six percent year on year. Meanwhile, in November Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments fell by 3.7 percent, while their iron and steel inventories were down by 2.7 percent, both compared to the previous month.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in November this year Japan produced 6.56 million mt of pig iron, down 3.3 percent, 72,245 mt of ferroalloys, down 11.5 percent, 8.5 million mt of crude steel, down 3.8 percent, and 8.3 million mt of semi-finished steel, down 3.7 percent, all compared to October this year.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to increase 6.7 percent in December and to increase 2.4 percent in January, both month on month.