Japanese Steel Sheet Stock Increases by 2.4% in April

Japanese inventory of hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated sheet steel for domestic shipment held by makers, distributors and processors increased by 81,000 tonnes or 2.4% to 3.498 million tonnes at the end of April from a month ago. The inventory turnover ratio lowered to 2.02 months from 1.74 months in March. The inventory seems to have increased due to long holidays from late April to early May. Another factor was that some makers increased the inventory in preparation for maintenance. However, the inventory was below 3.5 million tonnes, the level generally said to be moderate.

Steel sheet supply is tight when automobile and electric appliance makers are increasing productions, according to an official of Nippon Steel. Nippon Steel’s productive lines are full operations for pickling, cold, electro galvanizing and hot dip sheet and the firm cannot fully meet orders for cold and galvanizing sheet for July-September.

The inventory increased by 4.4% to 1.621 million tonnes at makers and by 2.7% to 688,000 tonnes at distributors while decreased by 0.4% to 1.189 million tonnes at processors. By items, hot rolled sheet increased by 2.5% to 1.799 million tonnes while cold rolled sheet decreased by 1.0% to 679,000 tonnes. Coated steel sheet increased by 4.5% to 1.02 million tonnes.

Japanese inventory of carbon steel products increased by 1.7% or 81,000 tonnes to 4.827 million tonnes at the end of April from March, according to Japan Iron and Steel Federation. The inventory upturned after 2 months. The inventory for export increased by 6.8% or 75,000 tonnes to 1.176 million tonnes, which also upturned after 2 months.

The inventory increased by 3.4% or 158,000 tonnes to 4.804 million tonnes at makers while decreased by 0.1% or 1,000 tonnes to 1.199 million tonnes at distributors. Makers’ inventory upturned after 2 months while distributors’ inventory downturned after 2 months.