Higher Export Lifts Japan Carbon Steel Order in F2009

Japanese steel makers’ order receipt increased by 1.7% to 67.36 million tonnes for carbon steel in fiscal 2009 ended March 2010 from fiscal 2008, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Wednesday. The order for domestic market decreased by 14.3% to 39-year low of 40.7 million tonnes. The domestic order for construction industry decreased by 16.6% to 9.85 million tonnes, which decreased to less than 10 million tonnes for the first time in 39 years. The export order increased by 42.1% to 32-year high of 26.66 million tonnes. The demand condition was mixed between recovering offshore market and slump domestic market.

The carbon steel order receipt increased by 4.4% to 6.275 million tonnes in March from February. The order increased by 10.6% to 3.954 million tonnes for domestic market while the export order decreased by 4.9% to 2.32 million tonnes.

The domestic order volume was 3.5-3.6 million tonnes and kept the low level since late 2009. However, the order increased by 12.8% to 997,000 tonnes in March from February partly due to speculative purchase before price increase while the volume was 700,000-800,000 tonnes before.

The order from distributors, of which around 70% is estimated to be used in construction market, increased by 21.8% to 1.103 million tonnes in March from February. The order from manufactures increased by 3.9% to 1.855 million tonnes while the demand showed sign to recover for industrial machinery.