Japanese major 5 steel makers’ raw steel output decreased by 4.9% to 41.05 million tonnes in April-September from same period of 2010. The output increased to 21.05 million tonnes in July-September from 20 million tonnes in April-June when the demand recovered from production trouble in automobile and other manufacturers after the major earthquake. The makers adjust the production despite of the better automobile demand when the export situation is very severe under high yen rate.
The output in the first half of fiscal 2011 started April decreased for all 5 makers from same period of fiscal 2010. Nippon Steel’s output decreased by 4.1% to 15.75 million tonnes. The output decreased by 4.9% to 13.65 million tonnes for JFE Steel, by 9.8% to 6.11 million tonnes for Sumitomo Metal Industries, by 2.3% to 3.63 million tonnes for Kobe Steel and by 0.8% to 1.91 million tonnes for Nisshin Steel. The output decrease was the widest for Sumitomo Metals due to full scale temporarily shutdown at Kashima works. The makers’ raw steel output decreased by 5.1% to 6.79 million tonnes in September from a year earlier. The daily output decreased by 0.8% to 226,300 tonnes from August. Their pig iron output decreased by 2.9% to 40.26 million tonnes in the first half from same period of fiscal 2010. The output decreased by 2.9% to 6.66 million tonnes in September from a year earlier. The daily output decreased by 1.1% to 221,900 tonnes from August.