Iron and Steel Demand Growth in Asia Slows Down

Second half of fiscal 2012 (October-March) have started. Though iron and steel demand in Japan keeps firmer tone in construction field mainly civil, shift to abroad of production by automobile and its parts makers and sales decrease of Japanese automobiles in China affect the demand in manufacture field. Iron and steel demand in Asia slows down and export also starts to be harder. Iron and steel makers including Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal and JFE Steel might have to continue cost cut in order to recover the earnings.