Japan’s steel exports down 5.2 percent in September from August levels

According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan's steel exports in September this year amounted to 3.3 million metric tons, decreasing by 5.2 percent month on month and down by 11.7 percent compared to the same month last year, while Japan's steel imports hit 585,115 metric tons, with a month-on-month decrease of 14 percent and a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent.

Regarding Japan's major steel export markets, in September the country's steel exports to South Korea totaled 620,928 mt, down 10.5 percent, while steel exports to China decreased by 3.3 percent to 585,391 metric tons; the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 242,390 metric tons, down 18.6 percent; exports to Thailand totaled 423,575 metric tons, down 9.9 percent; while exports to the US came to 177,516 metric tons, increasing by 14.9 percent, all compared to the previous month.

In September this year, Japan imported 276,480 metric tons of steel from South Korea, down 10.4 percent, it imported 100,222 metric tons from China, down by 11.5 percent, while imports from Taiwan came to 58,032 metric tons, decreasing by 31.4 percent, all compared to August.