The Japan Iron and Steel Federation has gathered and released statistics on steel export (all steel basis) of May 2012.

According to this, steel export in May 2012 was 4,011,000 tonnes. Export amount in dollar was USD 4.471 billion and that in yen was JPY 359 billion. Compared with the same month last year, quantity increased by 21.0% for the first time in 15 months which exceeded 4 million tonnes since March 2011, amount in dollar did by 12.5% for the first time in 7 months and that in yen also did by 11.1% for the first time in 7 months. Compared with the previous month, quantity increased by 29.7% for the first time in 2 months and amount did by 22.4% in dollar and by 19.5% in yen both for the first time in 2 months.

Export quantity of ordinary steel products was 2,534,000 tonnes, up by 14.5% YoY for the first time in 9 months and also up 24.9% from the previous month for the first time in 2 months.

By item with % compared with the same month last year, hot rolled steel coils (947,000 tonnes, up 50.5%) increased for 3 months in a row, galvanized steel sheets coils (451,000 tonnes, up by 2.7%) did for the first time in 15 months, cold rolled steel coils (302,000 tonnes, up 2.2%) did for the first time in 9 months, steel shapes and sections (93,000 tonnes, up by 34.5%) did for the first time in 4 months, seamless steel pipes tubes (59,000 tonnes, up 6.3%) did for 2 months in a row, steel wire rods (52,000 tonnes, up 12.8%) did for 3 months in a row, and steel bars (31,000 tonnes, up 13.6%) did for the first time in 2 months. While, steel plates (295,000 tonnes, down 11.4%) decreased for 2 months in a row, welded forged steel pipes tubes (89,000 tonnes, down 14.5%) did for 2 months in a row, and electrical steel sheets coils (64,000 tonnes, down 25.4%) did for 7 months in a row.

By item with % compared with the previous month, welded forged pipes tubes (up 119.6%), shapes and sections (up 36.1%), hot coils (up 34.4%), galvanized sheets coils (up 32.6%), cold coils (up 31.5%), wire rods (up 26.4%), seamless pipes tubes (up 17.1%), and so on increased respectively. While, electrical sheets coils (down 9.3%), plates (down 4.1%), bars (down 3.4%) and so on decreased respectively.

By destination on all steel basis with % compared with the same month last year, export to China (594,000 tonnes, up 3.4%) increased for the first time in 14 months, that to Thailand (477,000 tonnes, up 23.2%) did for the first time in 7 months, and that to Taiwan (338,000 tonnes, up 25.1%) did for the first time in 7 months and that to the USA (219,000 tonnes, up 53.8%) did for 10 months in a row respectively. While, export quantity to the biggest Korea (758,000 tonnes, down 9.6%) decreased for 18 months in a row.