Japan Ferrous Scrap Consumption Drops by 3.1% in 2011

Japanese ferrous scrap consumption decreased by 3.1% to 43.62 million tonnes in 2011 from 2010, according to Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The consumption decreased for the first time in 2 years. The electric furnaces steel makers’ consumption increased for 2 years in a row but the converters’ consumption decreased mainly in late 2011.

The converters’ ferrous scrap consumption decreased by 17.1% to 11.222 million tonnes in 2011 from 2010. The electric furnaces’ consumption increased by 4.6% to 26.023 million tonnes while the casting industry’s consumption decreased by 0.5% to 5.438 million tonnes.

The ferrous scrap supply decreased by 1.2% to 44.666 million tonnes in 2011 from 2010. The supply decreased by 0.6% to 14.056 million tonnes from steel makers and the supply decreased by 1.4% to 30.61 million tonnes from market.