Steel Sheet Demand for Building Materials to be Mainly for GL Steel Sheets

As for demand of the steel sheets/plates for building materials of roofs and metal sidings, etc., there is the demand increase of 55% aluminium-zinc coated steel sheet, which is also called galvalume (GL) steel sheet, from galvanized steel plate and hot dip galvanized-5% aluminium alloy coated steel sheet. As a matter of fact, Domestic GL steel sheet production in 2005 was 456,520 tonnes, compared with about 288,000 tonnes in 2000. As for hot dip galvanized-5% aluminium alloy coated steel sheet production, some of the major makers stop the production from 2006. Statistically, however, hot dip galvanized-5% aluminium alloy coated steel sheet production increased 391,549 tonnes in 2004 and 470,730 tonnes in 2005 from 339,208 tonnes in 2003. According to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), the actual results of hot dip galvanized-5% aluminium alloy coated steel sheet production, which JISF announced, included that of ZAM (zinc＋6% aluminium＋3% magnesium-coated steel sheet) of Nisshin Steel and SUPERDYMA (zinc＋11% aluminium＋3% magnesium＋silicon-coated steel sheet) of Nippon Steel. As these products have outstanding corrosion resistance. There were sharp increases of their output as product substitution from stainless steel and aluminium. It seems that brought about the production increase of hot dip galvanized-5% aluminium alloy coated steel sheet.