Japan Steel Makers Follow Growing Offshore Construction Demand

Japanese integrated steel makers and the subsidiary construction steel products’ makers shift to export to follow growing market. Nippon Steel’s shapes export reached more than 40% of the total sales while the export rate was less than 10% before. JFE Steel’s sheet pile export rate reaches around 20%. Their subsidiaries also try to expand the export.

Japanese H-beam export decreased by 19% to 256,239 tonnes in 2009 from 2008. However, the export in the second half year increased to 2.4 times of the first half level. Nippon Steel, which got Korean KS standard, expanded the H-beam export to South Korea. The export price reaches FOB US$ 620-630 per tonne compared with US$ 520 in April-June 2009.

Japanese sheet pile export increased by 18% to 211,050 tonnes in 2009 from 2008. The export recovers from temporary reduction in 2008 after the continuous increase from 2003 to 2007. Nippon Steel expands the export through aggressive solution proposals by utilizing the technology advantage and got order for world longest 38 meters long sheet pile for Incheon bridge project in South Korea.

Japanese integrated steel makers’ construction products subsidiaries also try to expand the export. JFE Galvanizing & Coating increases the export while the firm eyes potential offshore production sites. Nippon Steel & Sumikin Coated Sheet tries to expand the sales in Southeast Asia while the firm already has Shanghai based sales company. Nippon Steel & Sumikin Metal Products launched export unit in October 2009 to expand the marketing.