Japan Crude Steel Output Increases by 15% to 111MT in F2010

Japanese crude steel output increased by 14.8% to 110.77 million tonnes in fiscal 2010 ended in March 2011 compared with the previous fiscal year, according to Japan Iron & Steel Federation. The production rebounded for the first time since fiscal 2007 and reached 100 million tonnes for the first time since fiscal 2008. Steel demand represented firm from domestic manufacturing industry and Asian users. The volume recovered to above 90% against the highest record in fiscal 2007. In March 2011, crude steel production decreased by 700,000 tonnes against the original plan due to Japan Earthquake.

By furnaces, converter steel increased by 13.9% to 86.3 million tonnes while electric furnace steel increased by 18.2% to 24.47 million tonnes. By steel grades, carbon steel increased by 10.4% to 85.63 million tonnes while special steel increased by 33.3% to 25.14 million tonnes. By items, hot rolled steel products increased by 14.7% to 98.13 million tonnes.

Monthly crude steel production decreased by 2.7% to 9.09 million tonnes in March from a year earlier, the first minus in 17 months. The average output per day decreased by 8.1% to 293,300 tonnes compared with the previous month when several large steel plants were downed by Japan Earthquake and existing plants’ operations were lowered by TEPCO’s planned power outage.

As a result, Japanese crude steel production totaled 27.68 million tonnes for January-March. The pre-disaster output estimation announced by Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry was 28.40 million tonnes for three months.