Japan Plate Demand to Top 6 million tonnes in 1H

Japanese plate steel demand is expected to increase by around 10% to more than 6 million tonnes in first half of fiscal 2008 or April-September from around 5.66 million tonnes in second half of fiscal 2007 or October 2007-March 2008 duet to strong demand for shipbuilding and construction machinery. The supply in the first half is likely to be in line with second half of fiscal 2007 when the expanded capacity is coming in second half of fiscal 2008 and after. The supply is estimated to be 400,000-500,000 tonnes short for the demand. Japanese integrated steel makers expect the shipbuilding plate demand, which represents around 40% of domestic plate demand, increases by around 10% in the first half from around 2.39 million tonnes in second half of fiscal 2007. The shipbuilding plate demand is expected to keep increasing toward 2011 when the builders keep 4-5 years of order backlog under booming ocean freight market. Japanese steels expect the plate demand of construction machinery increases by around 10% in the first half from around 560,000 tonnes in second half of fiscal 2007. The machinery makers try to expand the output to meet the growing demand for infrastructure construction and mining in developing countries including China, India, Brazil and Russia. The plate demand is expected to increase by several percent in the first half for industrial machinery from around 480,000 tonnes in second half of fiscal 2007, for building structure from around 690,000 tonnes and for bridge from around 300,000 tonnes.