In January this year, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet shipments were up by 8.9 percent compared to the previous month and down by 9.1 percent from 755,044 mt recorded in the same month of 2023, amounting to 686,633 metric tons, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In the given month, 74.6 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 25.4 percent were made to the export markets. In the given month, Japan’s hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 705,080 mt, up by 0.3 percent month on month and down by 1.3 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in January Japan’s hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.11 million mt, moving down by 15.1 percent from the previous month and by 11.4 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 1.19 million mt, down by 12.0 percent month on month and up by 6.7 percent year on year.