In July this year, Japanese crude steel production was up 3.6 percent compared to the previous month and down 4.9 percent compared to July 2014, totaling 8.84 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in July Japan's pig iron production totaled 6.96 million metric tons, rising by 6.3 percent compared to the previous month and falling by 3.5 percent year on year.
In the first seven months of the current year, the country's pig iron output stood at 47.22 million metric tons, down 2.4 percent, while its crude steel production came to 61.44 million metric tons, falling 4.8 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
| Product | July 2015 (mt) | M-o-m change (%) | Y-o-y change (%) |
| Hot rolled section | 520,800 | 7.71 | 3.95 |
| Bar | 797,200 | -4.56 | -3.36 |
| Wire rod | 137,500 | -3.5 | -21.9 |
| Heavy plate | 806,400 | -8.1 | -1.6 |
| Hot rolled wide strip | 3,841,400 | 8.6 | -0.9 |
| Cold rolled wide strip | 1,519,100 | -0.1 | -10.7 |
| Galvanized sheet | 876,800 | -3.9 | -12.4 |
| Welded pipe | 303,600 | -4.4 | -14.9 |