Japan 5 Makers’ Crude Steel Output Decreases by 5.4% in June

Japanese crude steel output decreased by 5.4% to 6.824 million tonnes by 5 major integrated steel makers in June from a year earlier, decreased for 4 consecutive months and was below 7 million tonnes for 3 consecutive months when domestic demand decreased by disaster of mega earthquake and the export decreased due to higher yen rate and weak steel market price in Asia. The output increased by 3.2% to 227,500 tonnes per day in June from May, which increased for 2 consecutive months when the demand is recovering for industrial manufactures such as automobile from aftermath of the disaster.

The output decreased by 5% to 2.649 million tonnes by Nippon Steel in June from a year earlier, 3.8% to 2.244 million tonnes by JFE Steel, 8.25 to 1.015 million tonnes by Sumitomo Metal Industries, 9.2% to 604,000 tonnes by Kobe Steel and 5.4% to 312,000 tonnes by Nisshin Steel.

The output decreased by 2.55 to 41.6 million tonnes by 5 makers for January-June from the corresponding of last year due to decreased demand and some disaster-affected steel plant after the disaster.

The pig iron output decreased by 2.6% to 6.664 million tonnes by 5 makers in June from a year earlier. The output increased by 1.6% to 222,100 tonnes per day in June from May. The output decreased by 1.2% to 40.281 million tonnes for January-June from the corresponding of last year.