Japan Steel Export Volume Decreases for 3 Straight Years

Japan steel export volume decreased by 7.3% to 32.074 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 ended March 2006 from the previous year, decreasing for 3 years in a row, announced Japan Iron & Steel Federation on Tuesday. The export value marked the record at about US$ 29.6 billion in fiscal 2005, increasing for 4 straight years thanks to the increase of steel unit price and high-grade products. On yen basis, the export value reached above 3 trillion yen for the first time since 1985, increasing for 6 years in a row. The export of ordinary steel products decreased by 12.2% to 22.345 million tonnes in fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004, when hot-rolled wide steel coil decreased by 17%.The steel export decreased by 11.7% to 7.73 million tonnes bound for South Korea in fiscal 2005 fro fiscal 2004, decreasing for 3 straight years, and by 15.2% to 5.549 million tonnes for China, decreasing for 2 straight years. The export for Thailand decreased by 3.4% to 3.913 million tonnes, which decreased for the first time in 4 years, while that for Taiwan increased by 13.8% to 3.526 million tonnes, which increased for the first time in 3 years. The export for the U.S.A. increased by 14.9% to 1.617 million tones, which extended for 2 consecutive years.Monthly export of ordinary steel products decreased by 5.4% to 2.333 million tonnes in March from a year ago, decreasing for 16 straight months. Export of hot-rolled wide steel coil increased by 6% to 641,000 tonnes, increasing for the first time in 10 months. Compared with February 2006, the export of ordinary steel products increased by 30.6%, increasing for 2 consecutive months, when hot-rolled wide steel coil increased by 45.7%.