Nippon Steel, JFE Steel Expand Raw Steel Output Share in F2007

Japanese raw steel output increased by 3.2% to 121.52 million tonnes in fiscal year 2007 ended March 2008 from a year earlier, which renewed the record of 120.02 million tonnes in fiscal 1973. Japanese major integrated steel makers increased the output through expansion for the upper stream operations to serve growing demand especially for manufacturers at home and abroad. The major 5 steel makers’ raw steel output increased by 4.1% to 89.96 million tonnes up by 4.1% in fiscal 2007 from a year earlier. The weight of the high level output by the 5 makers increased by 0.6 percentage points for the share in Japanese total output. The electric furnace steel makers’ weight decreased by 0.7 points due to lower demand for construction materials while the special steel output was high level.Nippon Steel and JFE Steel increased the market share of raw steel output in fiscal 2007 from a year earlier while the top 10 makers kept the positions in Japan. Nippon Steel’s output increased by 4.6% to 33.63 million tonnes and the output 0share increased by 0.4 points in Japan. The Kimitsu works’ output exceeded 10 million tonnes for 3 years in a row and the output at Nagoya and Oita works increased. JFE Steel’s output increased by 5.1% to 30.52 million tonnes in fiscal 2007 from a year earlier, which was the first 30 million tonnes mark for the company. The production share increased by 0.4 points in Japan. The East Japan works and West Japan works increased the output by 3.6% and 5.8% respectivelyThe electric furnace steel makers from top 6 of Tokyo Steel Manufacturing to top 10 of Osaka Steel kept the positions in fiscal 2007 as fiscal 2006. Tokyo Steel increased the output by 2.2% to 3.43 million tonnes when the firm expanded plate export despite of lower output of H-beam. JFE Bars & Shapes increased the output by 2.8% to 2.28 million tonnes when the firm built semi-finished steel inventory preparing for new electric furnace building works at Sendai plant in Miyagi.