According to statistics from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), the sales volume of Japan’s finished carbon steel products to the domestic and foreign markets amounted to 30.5 million tons in the first half of this year, growing by 13.4% compared to the same period a year ago.

In June alone, the sales volume totaled around 5.2 million tons, hiking by 20.7% from the same month a year earlier. The performance showed that the demand has been improving.

The year-on-year increase in Japan’s June and first-half sales of carbon steel products was due to the strong demand from both domestic and foreign markets, as well as a low base during the same period last year caused by the first outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic.