As for plate, Japanese makers, mainly blast furnaces steel manufactures, keep production at a full capacity, but supply has been short yet because of active demand.

Supply keeps high level. Production volume of plate reached monthly 900,000 tonnes range for four months in a row from March until June. And it had increased by 10% from last year until May. Plate makers continue to produce at full capacity. But demand exceeds supply. Demand of plate for whole field except civil engineering is rising.

As for steel sheet, though stock in Japan stabilizes in low level, demand from oversea increases, moreover it in Japan tends to increase due to active automobile and recovery of capital investment. Supply and demand seem to get tighter; especially goods for distributors could become short influence of cut of accepting by blast furnaces steel manufactures.

Inventory of hot rolled, cold rolled and coated steel sheet is 3.76 million tonnes at the end of June. It keeps around 3.8 million tonnes from April to June. It is expected to remain at 3.8-3.9 million tonnes on July and after.