Japan Raw Steel Output Rises by 3% in 1H

Japanese raw steel output increased by 3.0% to 59.80 million tonnes in April-September from same period of 2006, which was third high as half year after first half and second half of fiscal 1973 ended March 1974, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Friday. The output increased for integrated steel makers under strong demand for manufacturing while electric furnace steels also kept high level operations. The converter steel output increased by 3.8% to 44.53 million tonnes in the first half year from same period of 2006 while the electric furnace steel output increased by 0.7% to 15.27 million tonnes. The carbon steel output increased by 3.3% to 46.9 million tonnes and the special steel output increased by 1.8% to 12.89 million tonnes. The special steel output was second high as half year after second half of fiscal 2006. The hot rolled steel products output increased by 3.9% to 54.06 million tonnes in the first half from same period of 2006. The carbon steel products output increased by 4.1% to 43.37 million tonnes. The output increased by 4.1% to 23.41 million tonnes for hot rolled coil, by 9.5% to 6.47 million tonnes for plate, by 1.9% to 6.16 million tonnes for small bar and by 10.3% to 2.47 million tonnes for H-beam. The special steel products output increased by 2.7% to 10.69 million tonnes, which was second high after second half of fiscal 2006. Japanese raw steel output increased by 3.4% to 9.93 million tonnes in September from a year earlier, which increased for 16 months in a row and second high as the month after 1973. The carbon steel output increased by 4.4% to 7.77 million tonnes while the special steel output decreased by 0.2% to 2.16 million tonnes.