Kobe Steel Gaines Plate Output Share in F2010

Kobe Steel was ranked in No.3 of plate production in Japanese makers in fiscal 2010 ended March 2011 while the firm was ranked in No.4 in fiscal 2009. The national production increased by 13.9% to 12.55 million tonnes in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009 due to strong demand for shipbuilding and construction and industrial machinery under growing infrastructure demand in Asia while the domestic construction demand was slow for building, civil works and bridge. The production in fiscal 2011 is expected to be in line with fiscal 2010 due to firm demand for manufacturers while the construction demand is still slow due to delay in rebuilding activity for the damaged areas by the major earthquake.

Sumitomo Metal Industries’ plate production decreased in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009 while other domestic 6 makers increased the production. Sumitomo Metals was ranked in No.4 in fiscal 2010 from No.3 in fiscal 2009. Chubu Steel Plate was ranked in No.6 and Nakayama Steel Works was ranked in No.7 in fiscal 2010 while Chubu Steel Plate was No.7 and Nakayama Steel Works was No.6 in fiscal 2009.

Domestic top plate maker, JFE Steel increased the plate production by 14.5% to 4.39 million tonnes in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009 increasing the share by 0.2 points to 35.0%. The second largest maker of Nippon Steel increased the production by 13.9% to 4.23 million tonnes decreasing the share by 0.1 point to 33.7%. Kobe Steel increased the output by 7.1% to 1.43 million tonnes decreasing the share by 0.8 points to 11.4%. Sumitomo Metals reduced the output by 12.0% to 1.24 million tonnes reducing the share by 2.9 points to 9.9%.

Domestic electric furnace steel based plate makers increased the production share in fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009. Tokyo Steel Manufacturing increased the production by 81.6% to 480,000 tonnes increasing the share by 1.4 points to 3.8%. Chubu Steel Plate increased the output to around 2.2 times at 440,000 tonnes increasing the share by 1.7 points to 3.5%. Nakayama Steel Works increased the output by 31.4% to 310,000 tonnes increasing the share by 0.3 points to 2.5%.