Shipments of CR steel strips in Japan in February 2026 decreased by 12.2 percent compared to January

In February of this year, shipments of cold-rolled sheets and strips in Japan decreased by 12.2 percent compared to the previous month and by 13.1 percent year-on-year, amounting to 341,822 metric tons. According to the Japan Federation of Ferrous Metallurgy (JISF), 53.9 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 46.1 percent went to export markets.

Meanwhile, stocks of CR sheets and strips in Japan increased by 0.2 percent in this month compared to the previous month, totaling 677,575 metric tons, up 9.7 percent from last year. 74.4 percent of the reserves belonged to steel producers, while 25.6 percent belonged to steel traders.

In February, production of CR sheets and strips in Japan totaled 342,811 tons, down 19.7 percent from the previous month and 6.9 percent year-on-year.