Japan Steel Sheet Inventory Increases for 2 Straight Months

Japanese steel sheet inventory for domestic shipment increased by 2.9% or 118,000 tonnes to 4.17 million tonnes at the end of August from a month ago at Japanese steel makers, distributors and coil centers belonging to Japan Coil Center Industry Association. The inventory increased for 2 straight months. Official of Nippon Steel said the inventory owed the increase to seasonal factors in August when steel sheet inventory increased by average 200,000 tonnes in late 10 years and by 350,000 tonnes in 2005 with less operating days at the users due to summer holidays. He said Japanese steel sheet industry aims the moderate inventory level at 4 million tonnes and Nippon Steel would continue regulation of order reception.Steel sheet inventory increased by 3.2% to 1.764 million tonnes at makers, by 4% to 853,000 tonnes at dealers and by 1.9% to 1.553 million tonnes at coil centers at the end of August from a month ago. The inventory increased for 2 straight months at makers and dealers and for the first time in 7 months at coil centers, though which decreased from a year earlier at every site.The inventory increased by 1.5% to 2.229 million tonnes for hot-rolled steel sheet, by 6.2% to 751,000 tonnes for cold-rolled steel sheet and by 3.4% to 1.19 million tonnes for surface treated steel sheet at the end of August from a month ago.Source of Japanese integrated steel maker said steel sheet demand is firm after summer holidays in mid August and is even increasing for disaster recovery recently.