Japan's steel exports, imports fall

Japan's Ministry of Finance last week disclosed that the country's steel exports fell 0.8 percent year on year to 16.96 million metric tons in the first six months of 2006, although the value of exports rose 8.6 percent year on year to Yen 1.63 trillion (around $14.2 billion). Japan's steel imports dropped 25.3 percent year on year to 3.51 million metric tons during the same period and value of imports fell 20.9 percent year on year to Yen 340.56 billion (around $2.98 billion).