Japan Raw Steel Output Exceeds 10Mt for 2 Straight Months

Japanese raw steel output increased by 9.5% to 10.008 million tonnes in November from a year ago, which was secondly highest as November result following 10.305 million tonnes in November 1973, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Tuesday. The output exceeded 10 million tonnes for 2 consecutive months. Domestic steel demand was strong thanks to high activities of Japanese manufacturing industries and the export was also firm. The raw steel output increased by 2.7% to 106.171 million tonnes in January-November from the same period of 2005, which might reach 116 million tones through 2006.

Converter steel output increased by 10.3% to 7.291 million tonnes in November from a year ago, which increased for 6 consecutive months. Electric furnace steel output increased by 7.2% to 2.717 million tonnes, increasing for 12 months in a row.

Carbon steel output increased by 11.5% to 7.914 million tonnes and special steel by 2.5% to 2.094 million tonnes in November from a year earlier. The output of hot rolled steel products including special steel increased by 10.5% to 8.898 million tonnes, in which hot rolled carbon steels increased by 12.1% to 7.171 million tonnes.

The output of long products increased by 8.4% to 2.229 million tonnes and flat products by 14% to 4.879 million tonnes. The output of hot rolled wide strip coil, which represents largest volume in flat products, increased by 18.1% to 3.792 million tonnes. Steel plate output also increased by 3.6% to 998,000 tonnes, which increased from a year earlier for the first time in 3 months.

Among long products, the output of small sized steel bar increased by 9.4% to 1.106 million tonnes, H-beam by 7.3% to 401,000 tonnes and large sized shape steel by 7.7% to 129,000 tonnes.

The output of hot rolled special steel products increased by 4.1% to 1.726 million tonnes, which increased for 6 consecutive months.