In May this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports reached 3.02 million tonnes, up 13.2% month-on-month and up 0.1% year-on-year, according to customs statistics from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF).

From January to May this year, Japan’s iron and steel product exports amounted to 13.79 million tonnes, down 0.5% over the same period of the previous year.

Regarding Japan’s major iron and steel product export markets, during the January-May period of this year, the country’s total iron and steel exports to South Korea reached 2.57 million tonnes, up 10.4%, while exports to China decreased by 35.1% to reach 1.18 million tonnes. Exports to Taiwan amounted to 705,356 tonnes, down by 11.4%. Exports to Thailand amounted to 2.02 million tonnes, down by 3.6%, while exports to the United States amounted to 508,827 tonnes, up 3.9% over the year.

The most considerable quantities exported were hot rolled coils (HRC) with a volume of 5.2 million tonnes, an increase of 8.7%, followed by semi-finished products with 1.3 million tonnes, up 2.1%. Heavy plate with 1.3 million tonnes, up 12%. Galvanized sheets amounted to 921,031 tonnes, an increase of 8.1%; cold rolled coil (CRC) 640,814 tonnes, down by 19.1%; wire rod with a volume of 64,984 tonnes, with a decrease of 14% and bars with a volume of 163,656 tonnes, down 35.5%.