Nippon Steel Keeps Top Stainless Sheet Share in F2008

Japanese hot rolled stainless sheet output decreased by 22.9% to 2.05 million tonnes in fiscal 2008 (Apr08-Mar09) from fiscal 2007, which decreased for the first time in 2 years. Each maker increased the output in the first half of fiscal 2008, but reduced the output by 30-40% for January-March 2009 compared with the peak level due to dropped world demand. Because domestic demand dropped, each maker is forced to adjust the inventory.

The top maker was Nippon Steel group. Top 5 makers’ positions didn’t change. Nippon Steel’s output share increased by 0.6 percentage points to 32.1% in fiscal 2008 from fiscal 2007 when the firm kept higher output for stainless plate in the first half of fiscal 2008.

Nisshin Steel decreased the output share by 0.9 percentage points due to low demand of stainless sheet, which kept no.2 position. JFE Steel was no.3 and decreased the output share by 0.6 percentage points to 19.6% when the firm reduced the output largely for January-March 2009.

Nippon Metal Industry was no.4, which increased the output share by 0.5 percentage points to 14.2% thanks to higher export volume to Asia. Nippon Yakin Kogyo was no.5, which increased the output share by 0.4 percentage points to 12.4% when the firm kept export volume of high nickel products in the first half of fiscal 2008.