Japan Stainless Flat Steel Import Drops by 52% in September

Japanese stainless flat steel import decreased by 52.3% to 7,273 tonnes in September from August, according to Japan Stainless Steel Association. The import was 36.9% lower than a year earlier level and the lowest level in 4 years. The import level was the lowest level since 8,002 tonnes in February 2006. The buyers expect lower market price to reflect lower nickel ingot price. The worldwide market is in inventory adjustment with lower apparent consumption. Japanese stainless flat steel import decreased by 48.1% for cold rolled and by 57.8% for hot rolled products in September from August. The import decreased by 50.8% from South Korea.