Japan Major 5 Steels’ Raw Steel Output Rises by 1.3% in July

Japanese 5 integrated steel makers’ raw steel output increased by 1.3% to 7.638 million tonnes in July from a year earlier. The firms kept high level output to meet strong demand at home and abroad despite of some integrated steel makers reduced output temporarily due to operation slump and fire accident. Their output weight decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 75% of total raw steel output in Japan.Nippon Steel reduced the raw steel output by 0.8% to 2.816 million tonnes in July from a year earlier decreasing the national output share by 0.8 points to 27.6%. The Yawata works’ output decreased by 7.3% to 303,000 tonnes because of fire in coking plant.JFE Steel increased the output by 1.1% to 2.583 million tonnes in July from a year earlier decreasing share by 0.2 points to 25.3%. The West Japan works increased the output by 0.5% to 1.84 million tonnes.The output of Sumitomo Metal Industries increased by 6.6% to 1.178 million tonnes in July from a year earlier increasing the share by 0.6 points to 11.6%. The Kashima works increased the output by 15.1% to 717,000 tonnes representing very high output.Kobe Steel increased the output by 2.1% to 717,000 tonnes in July from a year earlier keeping the share at 7%. The output of Kakogawa works increased by 2.1% to 581,000 tonnes.Nisshin Steel increased the output by 2.4% to 344,000 tonnes in July from a year earlier keeping the share at 3.4%. The Kure works increased the output by 2.9% to 286,000 tonnes.