Eiji Hashimoto, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) and president of Nippon Steel Corporation, said at a press conference held on December 14, 2021, that he expects nationwide crude steel production in fiscal 2022 to be 95 million to 97 million tons, about the same as in fiscal 2009.
Domestic demand is expected to increase by about 2 million tons, including a recovery in automobile production, while overseas markets will settle down, assuming supply constraints and logistical bottlenecks in semiconductor parts are resolved in the first half of next year.
He pointed out that the trend of the new coronavirus disaster would be a focal point for demand, saying, “If the infection of the Omicron strain spreads, it will affect supply constraints and the recovery of logistics bottlenecks.
