According to the customs statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan's iron and steel product exports in May this year amounted to 4.01 million metric tons, increasing by 21 percent compared to the same month of 2011 and up by 29.6 percent month on month, while Japan's steel imports totaled 687,366 metric tons, with a month-on-month increase of 8.4 percent and a year-on-year decrease of 8.1 percent.
Regarding Japan's major steel export markets, in May the country's steel exports to South Korea totaled 757,879 mt, up 15.1 percent, while steel exports to China increased by 22 percent to 593,846 metric tons; the export volume to Taiwan amounted to 338,410 metric tons, up 39.5 percent; exports to Thailand totaled 476,915 metric tons, up 14.6 percent; while exports to the US came to 219,413 metric tons, increasing by 11 percent, all compared to the previous month.
In May, Japan imported 265,822 metric tons of steel from South Korea, up 12.3 percent, it imported 43,017 metric tons from China, up by 5.8 percent, while imports from Taiwan rose to 81,838 metric tons, increasing by 40.5 percent, all compared to the previous month.
Exports | Imports | ||||||
May 2012 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | May 2012 (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | Change y-o-y (%) | ||
Semi-finished | 559,002 | 66.9 | 37.6 | 19,265 | -35.5 | 140 | |
Bars | 31,002 | -3.4 | 13.6 | 2,234 | -1 | -19.1 | |
Wire rod | 52,137 | 26.4 | 12.8 | 28,429 | 31.6 | -9.5 | |
Heavy plate | 295,110 | -4.1 | -11.4 | 46,784 | 17.5 | 17.3 | |
HRC | 951,272 | 33.75 | 50 | 145,109 | 3.2 | -8 | |
CRC | 307,185 | 1.7 | 31 | 95,405 | 42.3 | 37.3 | |
Galvanized sheet | 450,621 | 32.6 | 2.7 | 47,255 | 15.2 | 22.9 | |
Special steel | 822,536 | 34 | 31.4 | 31,787 | -17.2 | -8.5 | |