In December last year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were up by one percent compared to the previous month and down by 4.1 percent from 674,120 mt recorded in the same month of 2024, amounting to 646,487 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month, 69.9 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 30.1 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 660,674 mt, down 1.7 percent month on month and by 0.4 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in December Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.33 million mt, moving up by 6.5 percent from the previous month and decreasing by 6.9 percent year on year. 19.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 80.4 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.26 million mt, up by 3.5 percent month on month and down by 10.2 percent year on year.