Japan Carbon Steel Export Shows Y/Y Minus for 5 Months

Japanese carbon steel export decreased by 16.7% to 1.946 million tonnes in January from a year earlier, announced Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Wednesday. The export represented year-to-year decrease for five straight months. Japanese integrated steel makers decreased the export volumes in January when export profitability worsened along extremely strong yen trend and weak Asian steel market prices. By destinations, the export to South Korea showed year-to-year minus for 14 straight months while ten straight months to China, three months in a row to Thailand and Taiwan.

Japanese total steel export decreased by 16% to 2.944 million tonnes in January from a year earlier. The export represented year-to-year decrease for eleven months. The export value was US$ 3.576 billion or 276 billion yen. The dollar value decreased by 4.6% while the yen value lowered by 11.1%. Both of the figures showed year-to-year decrease for three months in a row.

Among carbon steel items, hot rolled wide strip decreased by 5.8% to 699,000 tonnes in Japanuary from a year earlier. The galvanized steel sheet export decreased by 21.5% to 311,000 tonnes and steel plate decreased by 21.2% to 251,000 tonnes, cold rolled wide strip decreased by 38.1% to 223,000 tonnesm electrical steel sheet decreased by 20.4% to 68,000 tonnes and seamless steel pipe decreased by 11.5% to 53,000 tonnes. Welded steel pipe increased by 18.6% to 74,000 tonnes, shaped steel increased by 29.6% to 67,000 tonnes and steel bar increased by 3.8% to 31,000 tonnes.

By destinations of all steel products including carbon steel and special steel, the export to South Korea decreased by 23.8% to 613,000 tonnes. The export to China decreased by 30.1% to 431,000 tonnes. The export to Thailand decreased by 2.9% to 352,000 tonnes while the export to Taiwan decreased by 29.3% to 228,000 tonnes. The export to the U.S.A. increased by 18.2% to 174,000 tonnes along economic recovery in the country.