Japan Major 5 Steels Expand Raw Steel Output Share in F2005

Japanese raw steel output decreased by 0.2% to 112.71 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 ending March 2006 from fiscal 2004. The output kept the high level thanks to firm demand mainly for domestic manufacturers. The major 5 integrated steel makers, which try to shift to higher valued steel products, increased the output by 0.2% to 82.939 million tonnes increasing the share by 0.3 percentage points to 73.6%. Nippon Steel increased the output by 4.1% to near 32 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 from that with some production trouble in fiscal 2004. The Kimitsu works hit the first 10 million tonnes of output. JFE Steel reduced the output by 3.4% due to output reduction for commodity steel export decreasing the share by 0.8 points. The West Japan works’ output decreased by 3.7% to 18.66 million tonnes. Sumitomo Metal Industries increased the output by 3.4% to more than 13 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004 expanding the share by 0.4 points. Kobe Steel reduced the output by 2% and decreased the share by 0.1 point. Nisshin Steel decreased the output by 9.4% due to production trouble at the blast furnace in December 2005 and early 2006 decreasing the share by 0.3 points. The largest electric furnace steel maker of Tokyo Steel Manufacturing reduced the output by 10.2% and decreased the share by 0.3 points in fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004. JFE Bars & Shapes decreased the output by 8.3% decreasing the share by 0.2 points. Daido Steel increased the output by 2.1% increasing the share by 0.1 point.