Sumitomo Metals Keeps Top Maker for Structural Special Steel

Sumitomo Metal Industries kept the top maker position for special steel structural hot rolled products in fiscal 2007 as fiscal 2006 though the firm reduced the production share by 0.5 percentage points. The second maker of Kobe Steel increased the share by 0.3 points while the third maker of Nippon Steel decreased the share by 0.5 points. Sumitomo Metals and Nippon Steel reduced the production share in fiscal 2007 from fiscal 2006 despite of the higher output when other makers increased the output more. Sumitomo Metals increased the output by 4.3% to 1.767 million tonnes. The output increased by 9.2% to 1.467 million tonnes for Kobe Steel and by 1.9% to 1.132 million tonnes for Nippon Steel. Nisshin Steel, which increased the output by 15.1%, recorded highest output increase in the makers in fiscal 2007 from fiscal 2006. The output increased by 12.6% for Sanyo Special Steel and by 10.1% for Aichi Steel.