JFE Steel Maintains Plate Top Share in F2009

Japanese integrated steel makers represented 93.6% production shares in domestic steel plate market in fiscal 2009 ended in March 2010 while electric furnace steel makers lowered their total shares by 4.1 percentage points to 6.4%.Japanese steel plate production totaled 11.02 million tonnes in fiscal 2009, minus by 19% from fiscal 2008 due to demand decline from domestic construction market, industrial and construction machines. Integrated steels could keep stable production for shipbuilding in early fiscal 2009 while electric furnaces were impacted by serious demand down from building constructions, industrial machines or wholesalers.

Integrated steel makers’ share positions didn’t change in fiscal 2009 from fiscal 2008. JFE Steel’s output decreased by 19.1% to 3.836 million tonnes and the share lowered by 0.1 point to 34.8%. Nippon Steel’s production decreased by 17% to 3.72 million tonnes and the share upped by 0.8 points to 33.8%. Sumitomo Metal Industries decreased the output by 4.1% to 1.412 million tonnes and the share upped by 2.0 points to 12.8%. Kobe Steel’s production decreased by 8.7% to 1.341 million tonnes and the share upped by 1.4 points to 12.2%.

As for electric furnace steel makers, Tokyo Steel’s output was 265,803 tonnes and the share lowered by 0.3 points to 2.4%. Meanwhile, the share position upped to fifth in fiscal 2009 from seventh in fiscal 2008. Nakayama Steel Works’ output was 240,492 tonnes and the share downed by 1.2 points to 2.2%. Chubu Steel Plate’s output was 202,093 tonnes and the share lowered by 2.6 points to 1.8%. The share position downed to seventh from fifth.