Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel Expand Cold Rolled Flat Share in F2006

Nippon Steel and Kobe Steel increased the share in cold rolling flat steel production in fiscal 2006 ended March 2007 when the Japanese output increased by 4.5% to 26.03 million tonnes from fiscal 2005. The output increased due to higher demand for automobile after the output reduction due to inventory adjustment in fiscal 2005. Nippon Steel increased the share by 1 point to 35.5% through the 7.6% higher output in fiscal 2006 from fiscal 2005 while Kobe Steel increased the share by 0.4 points to 5.9% due to 11.5% higher output. JFE Steel decreased the share by 0.5 points to 31.3% despite of the 2.0% higher output. Sumitomo Metal Industries’ share decreased by 0.2 points to 9.8% despite of 2.6% higher output. Nisshin Steel’s share decreased by 0.4 points to 8.4% though the firm increased the output by 0.7%. Yodogawa Steel Works kept the share at 2.9% in fiscal 2006 as fiscal 2005 when the firm increased the output by 4.8%. Nippon Steel & Sumikin Sheet, which started the combined operation in fiscal 2006, decreased the share by 0.3 points to 2.6% due to 5.2% lower output. Toyo Kohan’s share decreased by 0.4 points to 2.2% due to 4.5% output decrease.