Japan's iron and steel product exports down 19.2 percent in January

In January this year, Japan's iron and steel product exports amounted to 2.48 million metric tons, falling by 13.7 percent month on month and down by 19.2 percent year on year, while Japan's iron and steel product imports totaled 816,492 metric tons, with a month-on-month increase of 23 percent and a year-on-year growth of 15.2 percent, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).

Regarding Japan's major iron and steel product export markets, in January the country's iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 390,034 metric tons, down 16.5 percent, while exports to China decreased by 18.3 percent to 385,661 metric tons, the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 108,504 metric tons, down by 49.5 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 429,119 metric tons, falling by 13.4 percent, while exports to the US totaled 131,119 metric tons, rising by 13.6 percent, all year on year. 

In the given month, Japan imported 341,190 metric tons of iron and steel products from South Korea, up 19.4 percent, it imported 152,744 metric tons from China, increasing by 25.9 percent, while imports from Taiwan fell by 3.2 percent to 102,635 metric tons, all compared to the same period of last year.