Japan Bearing Steel Output Increases by 50.8% in F2010

Japanese bearing steel output increased by 50.8% to 1.036 million tonnes in fiscal 2010 ended March 2011 from fiscal 2009, which increased to more than 1 million tonnes for the first time over a decade when Japanese automobile output increased for mainly emerging countries or the demand for new energy resources expanded in the world. The record was 968,273 tonnes marked in fiscal 2007. Japanese 7 major bearing steel makers’ production share stayed unchanged in fiscal 2010 as 2009.

First production share was left unchanged at 36.9% for Sanyo Special Steel in fiscal 2010 from the fiscal 2009. The firm increased the output by 50.6% to 382,079 tonnes. Daido Steel decreased the share by 0.3 point to 16.4%, while the firm increased the production by 48.0% to 170,024 tonnes. Kobe Steel increased the share and production by 0.6 point to 15.5% and 57% to 160,386 tonnes. The share decreased by 0.3 point to 8.35 for Sumitomo Metal Industries while the production increased by 45.85 to 85,740 tonnes. Aichi Steel decreased the share by 0.1 points to 7.3% while the firm increased the production by 49% to 75,700 tonnes. Sixth of the share was JFE Steel and Seventh was Nippon Steel.