Customs data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) showed that Japan’s exports of iron and steel products totaled about 2.40 million mt in November 2025, declining by 5.7% compared to October and by 3.6% year on year.
During the January–November 2025 period, Japan’s exports of iron and steel products reached approximately 27.80 million mt, representing a 3.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
Regarding major markets, Japan’s iron and steel exports to Thailand amounted to 3.99 million mt in the first eleven months of the year, up 1.4% year on year.
In contrast, exports to South Korea fell by 19.6% to 3.52 million mt, while exports to China declined by 11.8% to 2.15 million mt.
Exports to Taiwan increased by 6.4% to 1.70 million mt, whereas exports to the United States decreased by 10.2% year on year to around 990.7 thousand mt.
Japan’s Steel Exports by Product
Product | November (mt) | Change m-o-m (%) | January–November (mt) | Change y-o-y (%) |
Semi-finished products | 267,493 | +6.4 | 2,716,115 | -4.6 |
Bars | 10,553 | -27.4 | 142,811 | -31.3 |
Wire rod | 50,160 | +68.5 | 423,809 | +13.9 |
Heavy plate | 207,757 | -7.1 | 2,411,976 | -3.2 |
Hot-rolled coils (HRC) | 908,917 | -5.4 | 10,328,538 | -4.3 |
Cold-rolled coils (CRC) | 102,663 | -16.7 | 1,303,385 | -3.7 |
Galvanized sheets | 141,870 | -16.2 | 1,771,092 | -5.8 |