According to the Japanese Ministry of Trade (METI), overall demand for Japanese crude steel in the second quarter of 2016 is expected to total 25.24 million mt, down 3.1 percent from the previous quarter and decreasing by 2.4 percent compared to the second quarter of last year.
Total demand for Japanese finished steel and semi-finished steel products, including exports, is expected to reach 22.91 million mt in the second quarter, down 2.7 percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter and declining by 3.8 percent compared to the same quarter of 2015. Of the estimated second quarter demand, exports are expected to account for 7.87 million mt, decreasing by 1.8 percent from the first quarter and down 6.3 percent on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, of the total demand in the April-June period, 18.36 million mt is expected to be for ordinary steel, decreasing by 4.1 percent year on year and by 2.9 percent compared to the previous quarter, while 4.55 million mt of demand is expected to be for special steel, down 2.7 percent year on year and decreasing by two percent from the estimated data for the previous quarter.