In May this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were up by 6.3 percent compared to the previous month and down by 3.3 percent from 692,374 mt recorded in the same month of 2024, amounting to 669,695 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month, 74 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 709,550 mt, up by 13.8 percent month on month and down by 0.9 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in May, Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.21 million mt, moving up by 1.4 percent from the previous month and down by 6.2 percent year on year. 19.1 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 80.9 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.17 million mt, down by 6.4 percent month on month and by 14.5 percent year on year.