Japan's scrap steel exports increased by 17.9% in 2025

According to customs statistics, in December 2025, exports of Japanese ferrous scrap amounted to 695,264 tons, which is 4.4 percent less than 727,542 tons in the same month of the previous year. In 2025, the country exported 7.71 million tons of scrap, which is 17.9 percent more than in 2024.

During this year, Vietnam was the largest importer of Japanese scrap, importing 3.28 million tons, up 26.2 percent from last year. Vietnam was followed by Bangladesh and South Korea, which imported 1.44 million tons and 1.28 million tons of scrap, which are 130.4% and 18.0% higher, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Japanese scrap exports to Indonesia totaled 458,499 tons in 2025, compared with 165,137 tons in 2024.