In April this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were down by 8.0 percent compared to the previous month and by 3.3 percent from 737,428 mt recorded in the same month of 2023, amounting to 712,885 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In April, 73.7 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26.3 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 684,298 mt, decreasing by 14.5 percent month on month and down by 3.2 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in April Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.23 million mt, moving down by 12.0 percent from the previous month and down by 8.2 percent year on year. 22.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 77.4 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.21 million mt, down by 9.7 percent month on month and down by 7.3 percent year on year.