Japan Integrated Steels Increases Steel Output to 80 million tonnes in 2003
Japanese integrated steel makers increase raw steel output by 800,000 tonnes to 80 million tonnes in fiscal 2003 ending March 2004 from previous year. Strong export to Asia supports the high level production along with firm demand for automobile and shipbuilding.

Nippon Steel estimates it produces 15 million tonnes of raw steel in first half of fiscal 2003 in line with same period of last year. JFE Steel increases its output by 200,000 tonnes to 13.4 million tonnes. Total raw steel output by 5 major integrated steel makers is estimated at 40.29 million tonnes in the period when Sumitomo Metal Industries, Kobe Steel and Nisshin Steel increase the output too.

They estimate same production level in second half of fiscal 2003 except of Nisshin Steel, which is to reline blast furnace in the period. Nippon Steel expects 15 million tonnes of raw steel output or full capacity in the period thanks to strong demand in spite of the outage by explosion at Nagoya Works.