Japan Raw Steel Output Rises by 1.1% in November

Japanese raw steel output increased by 1.1% to 10.114 million tonnes in November from a year earlier, which was second high as November after 1973, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Wednesday. The output increased for 18 months in a row when integrated steel makers keep high level operation to meet firm demand for manufacturers. The output should reach more than 119 million tonnes for 2007 when the output increased by 3.4% to 109.811 million tonnes in January-November from same period of 2006. The converter steel output increased by 2.1% to 7.444 million tonnes in November from a year earlier. The electric furnace steel output decreased by 1.7% to 2.67 million tonnes, which was first drop in 3 months, when carbon steel electric furnaces reduce the output under very slow building demand. The carbon steel output decreased by 0.7% to 7.835 million tonnes in November from a year earlier, which decreased for the first time in 18 months. The special steel output increased by 7.7% to 2.279 million tonnes. The hot rolled steel product output increased by 1.9% to 9.062 million tonnes. The carbon steel product output increased by 0.7% to 7.2 million tonnes in November from a year earlier when flat rolled product output increased by 4.7% to 5.104 million tonnes while long product output decreased by 9.1% to 2.026 million tonnes. The largest item of hot rolled wide strip output increased by 3.7% to 3.912 million tonnes in November from a year earlier, which increased for 18 months in a row. The plate output increased by 12.5% to 1.123 million tonnes, which increased for 13 months in a row. The long products output decreased in November from a year earlier when building activity is very slow due to confusion caused by new building standard law. The H-beam output decreased by 1.5% to 395,000 tonnes, which dropped for the first time in 26 months. The small bar output decreased by 13.9%, which decreased for 3 months in a row. The large shapes and middle- and small- shapes output decreased by 5.6% and by 8.3% respectively. The special steel hot rolled product output increased by 6.9% to 1.862 million tonnes in November from a year earlier, which increased for the first time in 3 months.