Japan Carbon Steel Export Rises by 4.4% in May

Japanese carbon steel export increase by 4.4% to 2.249 million tonnes in May from a year earlier, which increased for 6 months in a row, announced by Japan Iron and Steel Federation on Tuesday. The special steel export decreased by 1.4% to 503,000 tonnes while the processed steel export increased by 2.0% to 59,000 tonnes. The total steel export including pig iron and ferroalloy increased by 0.5% to 3.222 million tonnes in May from a year earlier, which increased for 6 months in a row and second high as May after 3.224 million tonnes in 2002. The export increased by 4.2% from April. The carbon steel hot rolled wide strip export increased by 2.7% to 595,000 tonnes in May from a year earlier, which increased for 6 months in a row. The carbon steel export increased by 11.3% to 280,000 tonnes for cold rolled wide strip, by 24.4% to 148,000 tonnes for welded steel pipe, by 10.7% to 98,000 tonnes for shapes and by 93.3% to 78,000 tonnes for bar products. The carbon steel galvanizing steel export decreased by 8.4% to 446,000 tonnes in May from a year earlier, which was first drop in 4 months. The carbon steel export decreased by 2.5% to 273,000 tonnes for plate and by 7.0% to 62,000 tonnes for seamless tube, which decreased for the first time in 10 months and 9 months respectively.