Japan Stainless Steel Sheet Import Rises in October

Japanese import of stainless steel sheet increased by 46.3% to 16,873 tonnes in October from September as total of hot- and cold-rolled products, which increased by 60.2% from a year earlier, according to Japan Stainless Steel Association. The import from South Korea was 15,563 tonnes, which represented large part of total import.The cold rolled steel sheet import exceeded 6,000 tonnes for the first time in 5 months and the hot rolled steel sheet import was 9,989 tonnes, which approached 10,000 tonnes for the first time in 17 months. The sum was over 16,000 tonnes at the level as same as April 2005 and exceeded 10,000 tonnes for 3 months in a row. Distributor source said the import of POSCO products is increasing recently. The import volume is expected to keep the current level in the tight domestic supply.