The Ministry of Finance of Japan released on 26th Japan's import and export of steel products (preliminary) in the calendar year of 2014. According to this, its export quantity of steel products (on all steel basis) in 2014 was 41,703 million tonne, down 3.2% from the previous year for the first time in 3 years, which, however maintained the level of 40 million tonnes for 5 years in a row.

Its export amount in the yen was 3,958.6 billion, up 4.4% ditto.

While, its import quantity of steel products in 2014 was 8.915 million tonnes, up 21.4% ditto. It had been since 2012 (8.040 million tonnes) for the first time in 2 years that its import quantity became the level of 8 million tonnes, which hit a record high in the past decade exceeding that in 2007 (8.664 million tonnes).

By destination of its export in 2014, its export to Asia was 32.303 million tonnes, down 5.4% from the previous year, and of these, that to China was 5.822 million tonnes down 3.2% ditto. That to the Asian NIEs was 11.721 million tonnes down 9.6% ditto and that to the ASEAN was 12.735 million tonnes down 5.7% ditto.

For the remote countries/regions, that to the Middle East was 1.847 million tonnes up 8.8% ditto and that to Russia stayed at 0.125 million tonnes down 36.7% ditto. That to the USA was 2.475 million tonnes up 9.0% ditto and that to the EU was 0.291 million tonnes slightly up 0.3% ditto. It is noticeable that its export to Asia decreased while that to the USA, the Middle East and so on increased.