Japan’s steel exports down 0.5 percent in January-May

In May this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 3.02 million metric tons, rising by 13.2 percent month on month and by 0.1 percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).

In the January-May period this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 13.79 million mt, dropping by 0.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

Regarding Japan’s major iron and steel product export markets, in the first five months this year the country’s iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 2.57 million metric tons, up 10.4 percent, while exports to China decreased by 35.1 percent to 1.18 million metric tons, the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 705,356 metric tons, down by 11.4 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 2.02 million metric tons, declining by 3.6 percent, while exports to the US totaled 508,827 metric tons, increasing by 3.9 percent, all year on year.