Japan's steel scrap exports decreased by 8.6% year-on-year during the period from January to July 2026, reaching 4.05 million tons, according to Japanese customs data.
The data showed a 16.6% decline in exports to 513.7 thousand tons in July alone, compared to 615.6 thousand tons in the same month of 2025.
Vietnam was the largest importer of Japanese scrap during the first seven months, with a total of 1.67 million tons, a decrease of 12.9% year-on-year. Bangladesh ranked second with a total of 984.7 thousand tons, an increase of 33.4%, followed by South Korea with imports amounting to 655.5 thousand tons, a decrease of 15.2%.
In contrast, Japanese scrap exports to Thailand increased to 313.3 thousand tons during the period, compared to 130.8 thousand tons in the same period last year, an increase of approximately 140%.
