In August this year, Japanese crude steel production was down by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month and by 3.9 percent compared to August 2023, totaling 6.87 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
Meanwhile, in the given month Japan’s pig iron production totaled 5.17 million metric tons, up by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month and down by 3.9 percent year on year.
In the January-August period this year, the country’s crude steel output stood at 56.66 million metric tons, down by 2.9 percent, while its pig iron production came to 40.96 million metric tons, decreasing by 3.5 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
The production volume of some steel products in Japan can be seen in the chart below:
Product |
August 2024 (mt) |
M-o-m change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
Hot rolled section |
355,700 |
-2.0 |
-6.5 |
Bar |
515,600 |
-9.5 |
-10.0 |
Wire rod |
94,500 |
-16.3 |
-11.6 |
Heavy plate |
639,400 |
-6.3 |
-14.5 |
Hot rolled wide strip |
2,981,800 |
-3.9 |
-2.6 |
Cold rolled wide strip |
1,161,600 |
-1.5 |
-3.7 |
Galvanized sheet |
659,000 |
-0.2 |
-5.3 |
Welded pipe |
204,000 |
-15.4 |
-13.7 |