Japan: Crude steel output falls 0.4% in Jan-Jun’26 on weak domestic and global demand

• • June output rises 1.3% y-o-y

• • H1CY’26 production remains below last year

Japan’s domestic crude steel production reached 6.798 million tonnes (mnt) in June, up 1.3% year-on-year (y-o-y), according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation. Production exceeded the year-earlier level for the third consecutive month, but weak domestic and international steel demand kept the annualised rate below 83 mnt.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (April-June), production increased 1.0% y-o-y to 20.35 mnt. However, output during the first half of 2026 (January-June) declined 0.4% y-o-y to 40.4 mnt, remaining below the previous year’s calendar-year performance.

Daily crude steel production in June averaged 227,000 tonnes (t), around 3,000 t higher than in May. However, the annualised production rate remained below 83 mnt, indicating that a full recovery has not yet been achieved.

By furnace type, converter steel production rose 2.7% y-o-y to 4.955 mnt, marking a third consecutive monthly increase. Electric furnace steel production declined 2.3% to 1.843 mnt, falling for the first time in three months.

By steel type, ordinary steel production increased 1.3% y-o-y to 5.23 mnt, while special steel production also rose 1.3% to 1.568 mnt. Ordinary steel output increased for the first time in two months.

Hot-rolled steel production declined 1.7% y-o-y to 5.804 mnt in June, marking the first decline in two months. Special steel production increased, while ordinary steel output fell by around 3%.

Note: This article is published as part of a content exchange agreement between Japan Metal Daily and BigMint.