Japan Carbon Steel Import Hits First Rise in 5 Years

Japan Iron and Steel Federation announced on Wednesday Japanese carbon steel import increased by 37.2% to 3.838 million tonnes in fiscal 2010 ended March 2011 from fiscal 2009, which increased for the first time in 5 years due to inflow from South Korea, China and Taiwan under yen appreciation.

Japanese carbon steel H-beam import increased by 79.7% to 82,794 tonnes in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009. The carbon steel import increased by 43.8% to 27,284 tonnes for bar and increased by 17.0% to 279,609 tonnes for wire rod. The plate import increased by 54.1% to 263,459 tonnes. The hot-rolled flat steel import increased by 39.0% to 1.632 million tonnes and the import increased by 33.0% to 851,440 tonnes for cold rolled flat steel. The import increased by 45.1% to 446,644 tonnes for galvanized steel and by 76.8% to 28,313 tonnes for electrical steel.

Japanese carbon steel import increased by 37.6% to 2.43 million tonnes from South Korea in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009, which increased for the first time in 3 years. The import increased by 71.4% to 600,000 tonnes from China and by 26.0% to 727,349 tonnes from Taiwan.

Japanese carbon steel import increased by 13.7% to 343,374 tonnes in March from February.