Japan Steel Export Drops by 7.5% in F2005

Japanese steel export decreased by 7.5% to 31.745 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 ended March 2006 from fiscal 2004, announced by Ministry of Finance on Thursday. The export value increased by 17.1% to 3.129 trillion yen. The import increased by 0.5% to 7.58 million tonnes and the value increased by 10.6% to 758.953 billion yen. The steel export decreased by 0.9% to 3.303 million tonnes in March from a year earlier. The value increased by 16.1% to 334.512 billion yen. The import decreased by 29.6% to 505,804 tonnes and the value decreased by 23.5% to 49.818 billion yen. The export to USA increased by 56.6% to 205,000 tonnes in March from a year earlier and the value increased by 81.3% to 28.738 billion yen. The export to Asian countries decreased by 6.1% to 2.625 million tonnes and the value increased by 5.9% to 244.414 billion yen. The export to China decreased by 11.5% to 587,000 tonne and the value increased by 2.7% to 65.091 billion yen. The import from Asian countries decreased by 32.2% to 424,598 tonnes in March from a year earlier and the value decreased by 29.1% to 34.553 billion yen. The import from China decreased by 44.6% to 124,448 tonnes and the value decreased by 26.8% to 10.752 billion yen.