Japan Import Steel Stock Drops by 10.7% in September

Japanese import steel inventory at quay in Osaka and Tokyo decreased by 10.7% or 23,000 tonnes to 214,000 tonnes at the end of September from August, which decreased for the first time in 2 months, announced by Hanwa Co. on Thursday. The stock decreased by 45.4% from a year earlier. Lower import of plate, hot rolled coil and cold coil reduced the inventory. The inventory in Osaka decreased by 11.5% or 17,000 tonnes to 147,000 tonnes at the end of September from August. The inventory decreased by 16.6% or 3,000 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes for plate, by 19.3% or 6,000 tonnes to 31,000 tonnes for hot coil and by 7.5% or 8,000 tonnes to 98,000 tonnes for cold coil. The inventory in Tokyo decreased by 8.9% or 6,000 tonnes to 67,000 tonnes at the end of September from August. The inventory decreased by 23% or 3,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes for plate and by 10.7% or 3,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes for hot coil while the cold coil stock was flat at 29,000 tonnes. An importer expects the import will not increase and the inventory will keep the level when Chinese exporters don’t want to ship with lower price for Japan.