Japan Crude Steel Output Decreases by 1.2% to 9.1 Million tonnes in July

Japanese crude steel output decreased by 1.2% to 9.108 million tonnes in July from a year earlier, which decreased for 5 consecutive months due to low demand after the Great East Japan Earthquake and decreased export under high yen rate, according to Japan Iron & Steel Federation. The output decreased by 0.8% to 293,800 tonnes per day in July from June. Domestic automobile output is recovering, but steel makers are adjusting increased inventory. H-beam output decreased by 14.9% to 213,000 tonnes in July from a year earlier. However, the crude steel output is expected to increase in the last half of fiscal 2011 when automobile output is recovering rapidly.

The crude steel output decreased by 1.6% to 7.2 million tonnes by steel converter in July from a year earlier, which decreased for 5 consecutive months, while increased to 1.908 million tonnes by electric furnace, which increased for the first time in 3 months. Crude steel output increased by 0.1% to 7.101 million tonnes for carbon steel, which increased for the first time in 5 months, while decreased by 5.6% to 2.007 million tones for special steel and decreased for 5 consecutive months.

The output decreased by 3% to 7.791 million tonnes for hot rolled steel products including carbon and special steel in July from a year earlier, which decreased for 5 consecutive months. The output decreased by 1.6% to 6.187 million tonnes for carbon steel products, which decreased for 5 consecutive months, decreased by 1.35 to 1.363 million tonnes for long products and by 1.7% to 4.751 million tonnes for flat products. The output decreased by 0.55 to 3.744 million tonnes for wide steel strip, which decreased for 6 consecutive months.

As for steel plate, the output decreased by 3.7% to 963,000 tonnes and decreased for the first time in 4 months. The output decreased by 8% to 71,000 tonnes for middle-small shaped steel, while increased by 29.1% to 93,000 tonnes for large size shaped steel, which increased for 5 consecutive months. Small bar output increased by 4.6% to 697,000 tonnes and increased for the first time in 3 months.

The output of special steel products decreased by 8.3% to 1.605 million tonnes, which decreased for 5 consecutive months.