In January this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were up by 3.6 percent compared to the previous month and down by 7.6 percent from 678,799 mt recorded in the same month of 2023, amounting to 627,343 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 702,845 mt, up by 21.0 percent month on month and down by 6.7 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in January Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.29 million mt, moving down by 0.7 percent from the previous month and increasing by 5.8 percent year on year. 17.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 82.4 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.35 million mt, up by 5.1 percent month on month and by 6.9 percent year on year.