In December last year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were up by 0.4 percent compared to the previous month and down by 14.1 percent from 701,829 mt recorded in the same month of 2022, amounting to 602,465 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month, 73.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26.4 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 580,694 mt, down by 0.5 percent month on month and by 12.8 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in December Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.28 million mt, moving down by 2.8 percent from the previous month and increasing by 10.1 percent year on year. 19.9 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 80.1 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.28 million mt, down by 4.2 percent month on month and up by 6.3 percent year on year.