[SMM Steel] Japan’s CR steel strip shipments rise 19.7% m-o-m in March

Published: May 19, 2026 16:20

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[SMM Steel] Japan’s cold rolled sheet and strip shipments increased by 19.7% m-o-m in March 2026 to 407,826 tonnes, although volumes were still down 2.7% y-o-y, according to JISF data. Domestic shipments accounted for 51.9% of total volumes, while exports represented 48.1%. CR inventories declined by 4.6% m-o-m to 647,044 tonnes but remained 4.5% higher y-o-y. Meanwhile, CR production rose 10.2% m-o-m to 376,896 tonnes, though output was still down 10.5% compared with March 2025.

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