Japan’s iron and steel exports decreased by 10.4pc to 2.4mn mt in November from the prior-year period according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).
The country’s ordinary steel exports dropped by 11.1pc to 1.6mn mt in November against the same month last year. Hot rolled wide strip was the most exported product at 750,515mt (48pc of ordinary steel) but declined by 12.3pc from the same month a year ago. Heavy plate followed with 196,068mt (12.5pc) in exports, down 9.7pc, galvanized steel at 162,392mt (10.4pc) declined by 13.4pc, and Cold rolled wide strip exports at 154,517mt (9.8pc) fell by 6.6pc during the same period under comparison.
Specialty steel exports fell by 16.3pc to 489,725mt in November compared with the same month in 2019.
Exports fall in Jan-Nov
Japan’s total iron and steel exports dropped by 4.7pc to 29.6mn mt in January-November compared to the same year-ago period. Ordinary steel product exports during this period declined by 5.6pc to 19.3mn mt, specialty steel product exports decreased more sharply by 18.4pc to 5.3mn mt, and semi-finished exports increased by 17.4pc to 3.7mn mt all against the same year-ago period.
Secondary steel product exports fell by 20.1pc in January-November to 445,707mt against year-ago volumes while pig iron exports surged to 537,933mt from almost no volumes exported in the year-ago period. The exports of ingots increased by 53.8pc to 23,999mt and ferroalloys decreased by 17.3pc to 159,559mt in the same period under comparison.
Looking at countries where Japanese steel was exported, 5.5mn mt was shipped to China, 4.5mn mt to South Korea, 3.4mn mt to Thailand, 2.3mn mt to Taiwan, and 824,585mt to the US. Exports to China rose by 18.4pc in January-November from the same year-ago period. Exports to Taiwan also rose by 13pc, but declined by 11.3pc for South Korea, by 30.2pc for Thailand, and by 31.2pc to the US.
Total iron and steel imports to Japan declined by 26.9pc to 540,997mt in November 2020 compared to the year-ago month. Steel imports for the first eleven months in the year declined by 21pc to 6.3mn mt compared to the same period in 2019.