Japan Ordinary Steels Order Increases for Export in April

Japanese order reception of ordinary steel products was 6.517 million tonnes in April, which was flat from a year ago, announced the Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Tuesday. The order volume increased for export by 7.1% from a year ago, while decreased for domestic users by 3%. Ordinary steels order for domestic manufacturing industries decreased by 1% to 1.82 million tonnes from a year ago, 874,000 tonnes of which was for automobiles decreasing by 1.2% and 407,000 tonnes was for ships decreasing by 4.3%. Orders for domestic industrial machines increased by 4.5% to 181,000 tonnes, 170,000 tonnes of which was for electric machines increasing by 0.3%.Ordinary steels order increased for domestic building construction by 6.2% in April from a year ago, while decreased by 6.1% for domestic civil engineering. The order reception bound for domestic wholesalers decreased by 8.1% to 1.277 million tonnes. By product item, order reception increased for H-beam, shape steel and steel bar in April from a year ago, while decreased for steel sheet, steel pipe and steel wire rod.