In July this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 2.63 million metric tons, increasing by 4.4 percent month on month and down 9.2 percent year on year, according to the customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
In the January-July period this year, Japanese iron and steel product exports amounted to 17.89 million mt, down by 3.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
Regarding Japan’s major iron and steel product export markets, in the first seven months this year the country’s iron and steel exports to South Korea totaled 2.26 million metric tons, down 20.8 percent, while exports to China decreased by 17.2 percent to 1.37 million metric tons. The export volume to Taiwan amounted to 1.19 million metric tons, up by 12.4 percent, exports to Thailand totaled 2.51 million metric tons, increasing by 2.2 percent, while exports to the US totaled 657,086 metric tons, down by 9.5 percent, all year on year.
| Exports | ||||
| July (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | January-July (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) | |
| Semi-finished | 209,536 | -30.4 | 1,788,117 | -7.3 |
| Bars | 20,718 | +78.6 | 83,801 | -31.0 |
| Wire rod | 36,703 | -5.3 | 270,114 | +10.6 |
| Heavy plate | 211,260 | -4.4 | 1,551,040 | -2.7 |
| HRC | 1,028,548 | -4.2 | 6,605,921 | -5.0 |
| CRC | 123,769 | +24.1 | 844,340 | +1.0 |
| Galvanized sheet | 173,300 | -1.1 | 1,115,204 | -5.5 |