Japan’s Steel Exports Down 10.7 Pct in Jan.
March 2, 2006
Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s steel exports in January fell 10.7 pct from a year before to 2,266,000 tons, posting a year- on-year decline for the seventh straight month, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said Thursday.
Japanese steelmakers curbed exports of general-purpose steel because of continued price falls in the Asian market attributable to Chinese steelmakers’ overproduction, the federation said.
Steel exports to South Korea, the biggest importer of Japanese- made steel, decreased 6.4 pct to 581,000 tons, the 13th straight drop.
China-bound exports slumped 32.3 pct to 325,000 tons, and exports to Thailand fell 14.0 pct to 292,000 tons.END