Import Flat Steel Stock Rises by 1.9% in Tokyo and Osaka

Hanwa Co. announced on Monday import flat steel port inventory increased by 1.9% or 4,000 tonnes to 214,000 tonnes at the end of May from April, which represented increases for 2 months in a row. The stock volume decreased by 15.7% or 40,000 tonnes from a year earlier. The inventory increased in Tokyo compared with April when some distributors increased the import. Tokyo’s hot rolled coil inventory increased to highest level since May 2005.The stock in Osaka decreased by 13,000 tonnes or 10.6% to 109,000 tonnes in May from April. The inventory decreased by 5,000 tonnes or 41.6% to 12,000 tonnes for plate, by 3,000 tonnes or 10.3% to 26,000 tonnes for hot coil and by 5,000 tonnes or 1.3% to 71,000 tonnes for cold rolled coil. The inventory increased by 19.3% or 17,000 tonnes to 105,000 tonnes in May from April. The stock increased by 28.8% or 15,000 tonnes to 67,000 tonnes for hot coil and by 7.6% or 2,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes for cold coil while the plate stock was flat at 10,000 tonnes.