经济产业省金属工业部主任 Manabu Nabeshima 表示：“由于汽车等制造商和建筑业的需求疲软，钢铁需求可能仍将保持低迷。”On Thursday, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry stated that due to a slowdown in demand in the manufacturing and construction sectors, Japan's crude steel production is expected to decline by 2.4% in the first three months of 2025.
According to the Economic and Industrial Ministry of Japan, due to the slowdown in demand from the manufacturing and construction industries, Japan's crude steel production is expected to decline by 2.4% in the first three months of 2025.
According to this prediction, the third largest Steel producing country globally is expected to achieve a production of 83.72 million tons for the fiscal year ending March 31, reflecting a 3.6% decrease from the previous year. This represents the lowest production since the decline in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the fiscal year 2020.
Manabu Nabeshima, Director of the Metal Industry Department of the Ministry of Economy, stated: 'Due to the weak demand from manufacturers such as Autos and the construction industry, Steel demand is likely to remain subdued.'
The Steel Department estimates that the crude steel production for January to March will be 20.93 million tons, down from 21.45 million tons for the same period last year. This is a 0.1% decrease month-on-month.
The Steel Department, citing industry surveys, noted that steel product demand, including exports, is expected to decline by 0.5% year-on-year to 19.09 million tons during January to March.
The department indicated that exports are expected to decrease by 0.4%.
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation predicted on Wednesday that Japan's crude steel production in the fiscal year 2025 will see a slight increase compared to this year.
However, the Federation's chairman, Masato Imai, urged the government to take swift trade measures to address the increasing steel imports from China in order to protect the domestic supply chain.
When asked about potential trade actions, Manabu Nabeshima stated, "We cannot comment on specific actions," but noted that China's steel exports have significantly increased, leading to a rise in imports to Japan.
He added, "Our goal is to respond quickly while complying with World Trade Organization trade rules."
Japanese steel manufacturers have repeatedly expressed concerns about China's growing steel exports.
Industry insiders and analysts indicate that the export volume of Chinese steel companies has reached its highest level in nearly a decade, and in response to overcapacity and weak domestic demand, the shipment volume of Chinese steel companies is expected to continue increasing in 2025, which could exacerbate trade friction.
