In October this year, Japan's industrial production increased 1.8 percent from the previous month, showing a month-on-month increase for the first time in four months, while a decrease of 4.3 percent was recorded compared to October of the previous year, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
According to the report, fabricated metals was one of the main industrial segments which contributed to the month-on-month increase in October. The Japanese fabricated metals output in October was up by 4.1 percent, while the iron and steel production index in the month in question decreased by 1.3 percent, both month on month. Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index in October this year fell by 5.3 percent year on year. Meanwhile, in October Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments rose by 0.9 percent, while their iron and steel inventories were down by 2.7 percent, both compared to the previous month.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in October this year Japan produced 6.8 million mt of pig iron, up one percent, 81,558 mt of ferroalloys, up 34.8 percent, 8.8 million mt of crude steel, up 0.4 percent and 8.6 million mt of semi-finished steel, remaining stable, all compared to September this year.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to decrease 0.1 percent in November and to increase 7.5 percent in December, both month on month.