Japan's steel exports down 8.2% in January 2026

According to customs statistics released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japan's iron and steel product exports totaled 2.28 million metric tons in January this year, down 11.9 percent month-on-month and 8.2 percent year-on-year.

As for Japan's major iron and steel export markets, the country's iron and steel exports to Thailand totaled 316,489 metric tons, down 8.7 percent, while exports to South Korea fell 13.5 percent to 310,290 metric tons, exports to China totaled 185,259 metric tons, up 20.3 percent, exports to Taiwan totaled 107,796 metric tons, down 23.3 percent, and exports to the United States were 89,978 metric tons, up 7.2 percent from last year.