Japan Common Steel Inventory Keeps in the Ended of December

Japanese common steel inventory decreased by 0.5% to 6.304 million tonnes at the ended of December from November at Japanese steel makers, distributors, according to Japan Iron & Steel Federation. The inventory increased by 2.9% to 5.357 million tonnes for domestic market, which increased in 4 months. The inventory decreased by 16% to 947,000 tonnes for export, which decreased in 3 months. The inventory deceased for steel sheet coil, steel pipe, steel sheet, tin plate or rackrail while increased for small bar, cold rolled steel wide strip or H-beam. The inventory increased by 0.2 points to 90.3% of shipment. The inventory increased by 8.5 points to 97.5% of shipment for domestic market, which exceeded at 100% in 3 months. The makers’ inventory decreased to 4.948 million tonnes by 0.4% at the ended of December from November, which decreased in 3 months. Distributors’ inventory decreased to 1.356 million tonnes by 0.9%, which decreased in 4 months. The inventory decreased by 30,000 tonnes to 1.545 million tonnes for steel coil at the ended of December from November, by 29,000 tonnes to 578,000 tonnes for steel pipe, by 14,000 tonnes to 618,000 tonnes for steel sheet, by 12,000 tonnes to 91,000 tonnes for tin plate and by 11,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes for rack rail. The inventory increased by 44,000 tonnes to 619,000 tonnes for small bar at the ended of December from November, by 30,000 tonnes to 604,000 tonnes for cold rolled wide strip, by 11,000 tonnes to 316,000 tonnes for H-beam. Japanese common steel products production was at 6.954 million tonnes in December while the shipment was at 6.984 million tonnes.