Japan Import Flat Steel Stock Rises by 11.7% in December

Hanwa Co. announced on Friday the import steel port inventory increased by 23,000 tonnes or 11.7% to 218,000 tonnes at the end of December 2006 from November, which represents the first increase in 2 months. The stock level was at 133,000 tonnes or 37.8% lower than a year earlier. The stock increased when the import of mainly steel sheet increased in the ended of last year. The inventory increased by 15,000 tonnes or 10.9% to 152,000 tonnes at the end of December from November in Osaka. The inventory increased by 1,000 tonnes or 6.6% to 16,000 tonnes for plate, by 3,000 tonnes or 10.3% to 32,000 tonnes for hot rolled coil and by 11,000 tonnes or 11.8% to 104,000 tonnes for cold coil. Meanwhile, the inventory increased by 8,000 tonnes or 13.7% to 66,000 tonnes at December end from November in Tokyo. The stock decreased by 2,000 tonnes or 18.1% to 9,000 tonnes for plate while the hot coil stock increased by 5,000 tonnes or 22.7% to 27,000 tonnes and by 5,000 tonnes or 20.0% to 30,000 tonnes.