Japan-based Nippon Steel Corporation has announced its consolidated financial and operational results for the first nine months ending December 31 of the financial year 2025-26.
In the given period, the company recorded a net loss of JPY 20.81 billion ($132.35 million), compared to a net profit of JPY 386.39 billion in the same period of the previous year, while its net sales amounted to JPY 7.26 trillion ($46.17 billion), rising by 10.7 percent from net sales of JPY 6.55 trillion in the nine months of the previous financial year. In addition, Nippon Steel reported an operating profit of JPY 107.05 billion ($680.93 million) for the April-December period, compared to an operating profit of JPY 566.13 billion recorded in the same period of the financial year 2024-25.
Meanwhile, in the first nine months of the given financial year, the company produced 36.61 million mt of crude steel, up by 23.3 percent, while its steel product shipments amounted to 23.31 million mt, decreasing by 2.4 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
Nippon steel expects its crude steel production to be approximately 50 million mt and its sales revenues to amount to JPY 10 trillion in the full financial year.
According to the company’s statement, global steel market conditions remained challenging in 2025, as demand across most manufacturing and construction sectors has weakened both in Japan and internationally. The slowdown of China’s economy has widened the global supply-demand imbalance, leading to increased exports of low-priced Chinese steel, which has depressed international prices and created particularly severe conditions in the ASEAN region. However, a further expansion of Chinese steel exports is considered unlikely.
Declining domestic demand in China, the growing fragmentation of global trade into economic blocs, and the increasing use of trade protection measures are expected to limit export growth. At the same time, maintaining current crude steel production levels in China is becoming more difficult, as reflected in the continued year-on-year decline in output. While tariffs and trade restrictions have begun to support market recovery in Europe and the US, the spread of similar protectionist policies globally increases the risk of low-priced steel being redirected into Japan. As a result, Japan is expected to strengthen its review of and implementation of trade countermeasures to protect its domestic steel industry.
