Japan's iron and steel product exports up 2.3 percent in 2013

In December last year, Japan's iron and steel product exports amounted to 3.53 million metric tons, decreasing by 8.9 percent year on year and up by 3.9 percent compared to November, while Japan's iron and steel product imports totaled 753,222 metric tons, with a month-on-month decrease of 4.5 percent and a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, according to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
 
In 2013, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 43.46 million mt, rising by 2.3 percent, while Japanese iron and steel product imports came to 7.74 million mt, decreasing by 3.8 percent, both compared to 2012.
 
Regarding Japan's major iron and steel product export markets, in 2013 the country's exports to South Korea totaled 7.83 million mt, down 4.4 percent, while exports to China increased by 0.3 percent to 6.10 million mt, the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 3.86 million metric tons, up 9.2 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 5.53 million metric tons, up 2.3 percent, while exports to the US came to 2.36 million metric tons, decreasing by 3.7 percent, all compared to 2012.
 
In 2013, Japan imported 3.63 million metric tons of iron and steel products from South Korea, down 8.1 percent, it imported 1.33 million metric tons from China, down 7.3 percent, while imports from Taiwan rose to 1.10 million metric tons, increasing by 10.7 percent, all compared to 2012.