Japan Dealers’ Steel Shipment Increases by 1.7% in December

Japanese steel shipment by 920 distributors increased by 1.7% to 3.059 million tonnes in December from a year earlier, representing first increase for 2 months, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Wednesday. The report, which is estimated to cover 64.9% of total distributors, said small steel bar shipment increased by 8%, representing increases for 3 months in a row. Cold rolled sheet shipment increased by 5.1%, which was first increase in 11 months. The shipment increased by 2.4% for hot rolled sheet and by 1.6% for H-beam, both of which increased for the first time in 3 months.

The report said the steel pipe shipment decreased by 5.5% in December from a year earlier, representing decreases for 16 months in a row. The shipment decreased by 4.6% for galvanizing flat steel and by 2.6% for plate, both of which decreased for 6 months in a row.

The steel inventory decreased by 1.3% to 3.119 million tonnes at the end of December from November, representing decrease for 4 months in a row. The inventory increased by 3.2 percentage points to 102% of shipment, which exceeded 100% for the first time in 2 months.

The inventory decreased by 2.3% for galvanizing flat steel and by 2.2% for hot rolled sheet, both of which decreased for 3 month in a row, in at the end of December from November. The inventory of plate and cold rolled sheet decreased by 1.8%, which decreased for 2 months in a row. The steel pipe inventory decreased by 1.1%, which was the first decrease in 5 months. The inventory increased by 1.4% for small bar, which was the first increase in 3 months, and by 1.1% for H-beam, which increased for 2 months in a row.