In July this year, Japan's cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 19.5 percent compared to the previous month and up by 10 percent on year-on-year basis, amounting to 577,000 metric tons. 45 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 55 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data.
Meanwhile, in the given month, Japan's CR sheet and strip inventories decreased by 8.7 percent from the previous month to 684,000 metric tons and were down four percent year on year. 72 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 28 percent were held by steel traders.
In July, Japan's CR sheet and strip production amounted to 513,000 mt, up 6.2 percent month on month and increasing 2.6 percent year on year.