Japan H Beam Import Jumps in March

Japanese H-beam import increased by 468.6% to 24,075 tonnes in March from a year earlier, according to Ministry of Finance. The import increased by 175.1% to 51,768 tonnes in January-March from same period of 2005. The price difference between the products from South Korea and those from China was 3,367 yen per tonne in line with 3,534 yen a year earlier. The average monthly import was 12,731 tonnes in 2005 when the annual import was 152,770 tonnes, which reached 100,000 tonnes for the first time in 14 years. The import increases in every month in 2006 from 2005. South Korean makers reportedly focus on export to USA after US government concluded the sunset review to terminate antidumping duty for building structural beam from Japan and South Korea. The import is likely not to increase significantly.