In May this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 2.52 million metric tons, increasing by 3.2 percent month on month and down 8.9 percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
In the January-May period this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 12.41 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 five months this year the country’s iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 1.62 million metric tons, down 23.9 percent, while exports to China decreased by 18.7 percent to 963,862 metric tons. The export volume to Taiwan amounted to 901,026 metric tons, up by 21.2 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 1.7 million metric tons, decreasing by three percent, while exports to the US totaled 441,728 metric tons, down by 12.7 percent, all year on year.
| Exports | ||||
| May (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | January-May (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) | |
| Semi-finished | 252,280 | +30.0 | 1,277,480 | -8.1 |
| Bars | 10,667 | +11.8 | 51,484 | -52.1 |
| Wire rod | 38,349 | -1.0 | 194,649 | +13.4 |
| Heavy plate | 207,357 | +5.7 | 1,118,768 | -0.4 |
| HRC | 932,112 | -4.2 | 4,748,951 | -0.6 |
| CRC | 113,320 | -5.0 | 620,820 | +4.4 |
| Galvanized sheet | 171,926 | +34.0 | 766,719 | -9.2 |