Japan Steel Sheet Stock Drops by 3.9% in November

Japanese inventory of hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated sheet steel for domestic shipment held by makers, distributors and processors decreased by 155,000 tonnes or 3.9% to 3.814 million tonnes at the end of November from October. The inventory decreased for 3 months, which fell below 4 million tonnes following the previous month. The reduced inventory advanced. Japanese major integrated steel maker source said the inventory adjustment had been advanced in all steel fields and devote cautious entire attention to production toward an order not to increase the inventory. The steel makers will keep the inventory level. The inventory decreased by 4.1% to 1.619 million tonnes for makers, by 7.3% to 723,000 tonnes for distributors and by 1.9% to 1.472 million tonnes for processors at the end of November from October. The inventory for processors fell below 1.5 million tonnes since April 2005. The inventory adjustment advanced in distributors. The inventory decreased by 4.7% to 1.972 million tonnes for hot rolled steel sheet at the end of November from October, by 3.6% to 727,000 tonnes for cold rolled steel sheet and by 2.6% to 1.115 million tonnes for coated steel sheet.