Tokyo Steel Sets New Shipping Yard at Ishinomaki Port, Miyagi

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing recently opened the steel shipping yard at Ishinomaki port in Miyagi, Japan. This is Tokyo Steel’s third shipping yard in northern Japan following the existent yards at Hachinohe port in Aomori and Shiogama port in Miyagi.

Tokyo Steel sends made-to-order steel products to the port nearest to the customer by ship. The products are delivered to the users from the shipping yard at the quays by trucks. Tokyo Steel also has inventory yards all over Japan to meet quick delivery orders. The distribution is commissioned to logistics companies.

Before the major earthquake, Tokyo Steel had the shipping yard at Soma port in Fukushima to cover shipment to Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima in combination with another shipping yard at Shiogama port. The other shipping yard at Hachinohe port has covered Aomori, Akita and Iwate.

Vessels became unable to enter Soma port after the mega quake. Then Tokyo Steel transferred the yard function to Ishinomaki port and started the commercial operation in fiscal 2012 started in April. Nippon Express is commissioned to deliver mainly H-beam, I-beam, channel steel and steel plate from Ishinomaki port by truck.

In northern Japan, steel demand is expected to increase along with reconstruction works in or after the second half of fiscal 2012 ending in March 2013. Tokyo Steel meets the demand by steel products delivery from Ishinomaki while the firm examines the yard utilization for inventory stocks in future.