Marginal Higher Japan Special Steel Output for Jan-Mar, METI

Japanese steel makers’ special steel production plan increased by 2.6% to 5.298 million tonnes for January-March from October-December, announced by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Tuesday. The production will increase for 3 quarters in a row. The production will remain high level due to export for automobile and energy industry. The production will increase by 0.9% from same period of 2011.

The special steel production will increase by 0.1% to 3.506 million tonnes for domestic order for January-March from October-December. The production will remain same as October-December level due to weak construction machinery demand under slowdown in Chinese economic growth. The production increases by 0.7% to 1.1 million tonnes for carbon steel for machine structural and increases by 1.5% to 399,900 tonnes for stainless steel. However, the production decreases by 2.2% to 450,000 tonnes for tool steel and decreases by 0.6% to 612,100 tonnes for high tensile strength steel.

The special steel production will increase by 8.1% to 1.792 million tonnes for export. The production will recover from the aftermath of Thai flood. The production increases by 15.2% to 822,600 tonnes for high tensile strength steel and increases by 4.0% to 159,800 tonnes for carbon steel for machine structural. The production increases by 11.0% to 266,800 tonnes for stainless steel.