In April this year, Japan's industrial production decreased by 2.5 percent from March and rose by 4.1 percent from April 2013, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
In April of the current year, Japanese iron and steel production increased by 1.6 percent year on year, while Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production decreased by 0.2 percent month on month. Meanwhile, in the given month Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments increased by 1.4 percent and iron and steel inventories were down by 6.5 percent, both compared to March.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in April this year Japan produced 6.61 million mt of pig iron, down 2.8 percent, 8.95 million mt of crude steel, down 2.4 percent, and 8.71 million mt of semi-finished steel, down 2.6 percent, all compared to April 2013.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to increase by 1.7 percent in May and decrease by two percent in June, both month on month. Meanwhile, Japanese iron and steel production is expected to decline by 1.9 percent in May and increase by three percent in June, both month on month.