According to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japan’s crude steel production amounted to around 21.6 million tons in the first quarter of this year, falling by 6% compared to the year-ago level. The decrease was mainly due to slowed domestic manufacturing.

In March alone, Japan’s crude steel production decreased by nearly 6% year on year to 7.5 million tons.

In the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023, Japan produced a total of approximately 87.9 million tons of crude steel, a year-on-year drop of 8.1%.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) predicted that domestic crude steel production would decrease by 4.6% year on year to 21.92 million tons in the second quarter of this year due to weaker demand for steel.