Japan’s steel exports down 5.5 percent in H1

In June this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 2.59 million metric tons, decreasing by 6.5 percent month on month and down by 8.5 percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).

In the January-June period this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 15.70 million mt, down by 5.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

Regarding Japan’s major iron and steel product export markets, in the first half this year the country’s iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 2.45 million metric tons, down 20.1 percent, while exports to China increased by 2.2 percent to 1.43 million metric tons. The export volume to Taiwan amounted to 909,662 metric tons, up by 10.8 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 2.08 million metric tons, decreasing by 13.7 percent, while exports to the US totaled 631,477 metric tons, up by 5.5 percent, all year on year.