Japan: Crude steel output drops 3.4% y-o-y in Aug’25 for 5th consecutive month

• Apr–Aug output falls by 4% y-o-y
• Ordinary steel production down 5.4%

Japan Metal Daily: The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) reported on 22 September that domestic crude steel production in August stood at 6.636 million tonnes (mnt), down 3.4% from the same month last year, marking the fifth consecutive month of y-o-y declines. Average daily output was 214,000 tonnes (t), translating to an annualized rate of below 80 mnt. Weak demand in both domestic and international markets has kept production activity subdued.

Cumulative crude steel production for April–August totaled 33.7 mnt, a decline of around 4% from the same period last year. For January–August, output reached 54.1mnt, down 4.5% y-o-y. Daily production in August was also 9,000 t lower than in July, with electric furnace producers’ seasonal output cuts weighing heavily and driving the annualized rate down to approximately 78 mnt.

By furnace type, August converter steel production fell 3.6% y-o-y to 5.114 mnt, while electric furnace steel decreased 2.6% to 1.523 mnt – down nearly 11% compared with July due to summer production cuts.

By product category, ordinary steel output dropped 5.4% y-o-y to 5.128 mnt, extending its decline for a fifth consecutive month. In contrast, special steel production rose 4.2% to 1.508 mnt, the first increase in two months, partly reflecting a rebound from last year’s low base. Hot-rolled steel production fell 1.9% y-o-y to 5.863 mnt, marking its eighth straight month of contraction.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with an article exchange agreement between Japan Metal Daily and BigMint.