In November this year, Japan's industrial production increased by 0.1 percent from the previous month and rose by five percent from November in the previous year, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
In November of the current year, the Japanese iron and steel production index increased by 9.5 percent year on year, while Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index rose 2.8 percent compared to October this year. Meanwhile, in November this year Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments increased by 10.2 percent and iron and steel inventories were down by 1.6 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 6.84 million mt of pig iron, up 4.4 percent, 9.27 million mt of crude steel, up nine percent, and 9.03 million mt of semi-finished steel, up 8.9 percent, all compared to November 2012.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to increase by 2.8 percent in December and by 4.6 percent in January 2014, both month on month. Meanwhile, Japanese iron and steel production is expected to increase by 1.4 percent in December and to decrease by 0.2 percent in January, both month on month.