JFE Steel Group Holds Top Rebar Output Share in 1H

Japanese concrete reinforcing steel bar output increased by 8.2% to 6.05 million tonnes in half year to September from same period of 2005. The top 3 makers’ ranking was same as last year. Godo Steel increased the output by 23% to about 300,000 tonnes, which most increased, and which raised the rank to no.4 from no.5. No.6 and no.7 makers were same as last year. no.9, Jonan Steel, was same. Asahi Industries decreased the rank to no.10 from no.8. Each maker increased their outputs. The rebar demand increased in all over the country. The share of JFE Steel group, Daiwa Steel, JFE Shapes & Bars, Tohoku Steel and Toyohira Steel, is the first to 15.4%. The share of Kyoei Steel group including Kanto Steel was no.2 to 14.5%. Nippon Steel group, Godo Steel, Osaka Steel and Shin-Hokkai Steel was no.3 to 8.7%. Top 10 makers’ share rose to 51.6% by 1.4 points in the first half from same period of 2005. Their outputs increased to 3.12 million tonnes by 11.4%, which exceeded at 3 million tonnes of large level. Especially, the makers’ outputs increased by over 10% around Tokyo. It is expected that the private business investment such as condominium building would pull the demand in all over the country in the last half of fiscal 2006 ending of March 2007.