Japan's crude steel production declined year-on-year for nine consecutive months

Release time：Jul 01, 2019 From：admin

According to statistics released recently by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation, crude steel production in Japan was 8.676 million tons in May, down 4.6% from the same period last year, the ninth consecutive month of year-on-year decline.

According to furnace output statistics, in May, the output of converter steel in Japan was 6.587 million tons, a decrease of 4.4% over the same period of last year, while that of electric furnace steel was 2.088 million tons, a decrease of 5.3% over the same period of last year. Among them, the reduction of converter steel production is related to the blast furnace failure of JFE Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. The reduction of electric furnace steel production is related to the reduction of the number of operating days of electric furnace caused by the "ten consecutive vacations" in Japan at the end of April and the beginning of May (Japan is on national vacation from April 27 to May 6 this year).

It is understood that because the blast furnace failure of JFE Steel Co. lasted until the end of March, imported steel from China and South Korea increased accordingly, resulting in an increase in steel stocks in Japan. By the end of April, the inventory of sheet metal in Japan had reached 4.53 million tons, reaching a high level in recent 10 years. Therefore, Japanese manufacturers have adjusted their production plans, which has had a certain impact on steel production. In addition, the slowdown of China's economic growth and the decline in steel demand are also considered factors contributing to the reduction of steel production in Japan. (Source: Yangtze River Nonferrous Metal Network)