Japan Raw Steel Output Hits 3rd High in August

Japanese raw steel output increased by 4.1% to 9.61 million tonnes in August from a year earlier, which increased for 3 months in a row, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Wednesday. The output was third high as August after 1974 and 1973. Japanese steel output hit high level under firm demand for high valued steel products from domestic manufacturers, firm building demand and recovery for export. The converter steel output increased by 2.9% to 7.33 million tonnes in August from a year earlier and the electric furnace steel output increased by 8.1% to 2.28 million tonnes. The output increased for 3 months in a row for converter steel and for 9 months in a row for electric furnace steel.The carbon steel output increased by 4.3% to 7.52 million tonnes in August from a year earlier. The special steel output increased by 3.4% to 2.08 million tonnes. The hot rolled steel products’ output including special steel increased by 6.9% to 7.79 million tonnes in August from a year earlier. The carbon steel hot rolled products output increased by 5.2% when the long products output increased by13.8% to 1.91 million tonnes and the flat products output increased by 2.2% to 4.96 million tonnes. The output increased for 11 months in row for long and for 3 months in a row for flat. The hot rolled wide strip output increased by 1.8% to 3.82 million tonnes in August from a year earlier. The output increased by 5.0% to 1.05 million tonnes for plate, which increased for 3 months in a row. The rebar output increased by 9.9% to 930,000 tonnes and H-beam output increased by 42.2% to 370,000 tonnes, both of which increased for 11 months in a row. The mid-sized shapes’ output increased by 24.4% to 120,000 tonnes while large sized shapes’ output decreased by 0.7% to 110,000 tonnes. The special steel hot rolled products’ output increased by 13.6% to 1.84 million tonnes in August from a year earlier, which increased for 3 months in a row.