In the first two months this year, Japan's galvanized sheet output amounted to 1.95 million mt, up 2.38 percent compared to the same period of 2013, according to data from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). In February alone, the country's galvanized sheet output decreased by 10.86 percent compared to January and was up 0.63 percent year on year, amounting to 921,049 mt.

In the first two months of the current year, Japan's galvanized sheet shipments increased by 5.26 percent year on year to 1.98 million metric tons, with 72 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, and the remaining 28 percent made to the export markets. In February this year, Japan's galvanized sheet shipments amounted to 966,569 mt, decreasing by 4.47 percent compared to January and up 4.10 percent from the same month last year.

Meanwhile, in February Japan's galvanized sheet inventories fell 4.40 percent month on month to 989,479 metric tons, and were down 3.12 percent year on year. 64 percent of inventories were held by steel manufacturers, while 36 percent were held by steel traders.