In June this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 2.52 million metric tons, down by 0.2 percent month on month and 2.8 percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
In the first half of this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 15.26 million mt, down by 2.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
Regarding Japan’s major iron and steel product export markets, in the first six months the country’s iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 1.93 million metric tons, down 21.4 percent, while exports to China decreased by 17.8 percent to 1.18 million metric tons. The export volume to Taiwan amounted to 1.07 million metric tons, up by 17.4 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 2.12 million metric tons, up two percent, while exports to the US totaled 531,685 metric tons, down by 15.8 percent, all year on year.
| Exports | ||||
| June (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Jan-June (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) | |
| Semi-finished | 301,101 | +19.4 | 1,578,581 | -1.6 |
| Bars | 11,559 | +8.7 | 63,083 | -45.4 |
| Wire rod | 38,762 | +1.1 | 233,412 | +12.6 |
| Heavy plate | 221,013 | +6.6 | 1,339,780 | +0.4 |
| HRC | 828,422 | -11.1 | 5,577,373 | -4.1 |
| CRC | 99,750 | -12.0 | 720,570 | +4.4 |
| Galvanized sheet | 175,186 | +1.9 | 941,904 | -7.2 |