According to the data released by the Japanese Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japanese crude steel production in January amounted to 8.63 million metric tons, down 10.6 percent year on year and rising by 2.7 percent month on month. Meanwhile, the country's pig iron production in January this year totaled 6.6 million metric tons, decreasing also by 10.6 percent year on year and up 2.45 percent compared to the previous month of December.
In 2011, the country's pig iron output stood at 81 million metric tons and its crude steel production came to 107.6 million metric tons, with decreases of 1.5 percent and 1.8 percent both compared to 2010.
Japan's steel product output tonnages in January 2012:
Product | January 2012 (mt) | Y-o-y change (%) | M-o-m change (%) |
Section | 452,400 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
Bar | 771,100 | 3 | -4.3 |
Wire rod | 143,900 | -20.2 | -5.2 |
Heavy plate | 941,800 | -13.2 | 12.7 |
Hot rolled wide strip | 3,540,000 | -13.3 | 9.9 |
Cold rolled wide strip | 1,704,700 | -14.3 | 10.1 |
Galvanized sheet | 1,022,600 | -5.8 | 7.7 |
Welded pipe | 287,700 | -8.9 | -3.5 |