The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (Tokyo, Chuo) announced on September 22 that crude steel production in August fell by 3.4% year-on-year to 6.636 million tons. This marked the fifth consecutive month of decline in output. The federation stressed that worsening market conditions due to excess production in China have now become the norm, while noting that domestic demand has also been affected by labor shortages and delays in the construction sector.
Steel produced via blast furnaces fell by 3.6% to 5.114 million tons, marking the fifth straight month of decline. Meanwhile, steel output from electric arc furnaces decreased by 2.6% to 1.523 million tons, extending its decline streak to the 13th consecutive month.
On a daily basis, Japan’s crude steel production in August stood at 214,000 tons, representing a 4.1% drop compared to 223,000 tons in July.
The federation also urged the government to take action against “third-country circumvention,” a practice that avoids anti-dumping (AD) tariffs on steel imports. It noted that steel from China, Taiwan, and other countries can be processed in a third country to bypass import restrictions.
The Japanese government, in turn, announced that it has been taking measures to combat excess production originating from China. In this context, it stated that anti-dumping investigations will be launched into steel products imported from China and Taiwan.
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