Japan Carbon Steel Export Drops by 18.2% for Apr-Sep

Japanese carbon steel export decreased by 18.2% to 11.051 million tonnes for April-September from the same period of the previous year, announced by Japan Iron & Steel Federation on Monday. The export decreased for the first time in 4 years along economic downturn since autumn 2008.

The export increased by 46.5% to 134,000 tonnes for sheet pile for April-September, by 0.9% to 1.677 million tonnes for plate, by 3.1% to 3.785 million tonnes for hot rolled strip and by 8.8% to 14,000 tonnes for hot rolled sheet.

On the other hand, the export decreased by 32.3% to 371,000 tonnes for shaped steel, by 44.0% to 217,000 tonnes for steel bar, by 37.8% to 1.71 million tonnes for galvanizing steel sheet, by 39.8% to 246,000 tonnes for seamless pipe and by 76.2% to 205,000 tonnes for welded pipe. Steel tube export especially dropped when many pipe line projects were postponed or suspended.

The export of special steel products decreased by 26.1% to 2.282 million tonnes. The export of secondary processed products decreased by 31.9% to 246,000 tonnes.

In September, carbon steel export increased by 3.7% to 2.313 million tonnes compared with August, which represented year-to-year increase for 4 consecutive months. The special steel export increased by 0.9% to 466,000 tonnes. The secondary steel products export increased to 51,000 tonnes by 20.9%.

The export increased by 82.2% for forge welded steel tube in September from August, by 81.2% for seamless steel tube, by 18.3% for magnetic sheet, by 17.1% for shaped steel, by 13.9% for zinc coated sheet, by 13.4% for cold rolled wide strip and by 3.2% for wire rod. Meanwhile, the export decreased by 7.0% for steel bar, by 6.0% for hot rolled wide strip and by 3.6% for plate.

By countries and yeaer-to-year comparison, the steel export increased by 10.8% to 1.021 million tonnes for South Korea and by 20.8% to 680,000 tonnes for China in September. The export for both countries represented year-to-year increase for 4 consecutive months. The export increased by 35.4% to 388,000 tonnes for Taiwan, up for 2 months in a row. Meanwhile the export decreased by 21.5% to 350,000 tonnes for Thailand, down for 11 consecutive months. Thel export for USA decreased by 40.5% to 73,000 tonnes.