Japan’s crude steel output for FY25 falls to a near 60-year low

Preliminary data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation shows that Japan's crude steel production for the 2024 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2025) totaled 80.3305 million tonnes. HX180BD+ZM steel strip ,This represents a 3.2% year-on-year decline—aligning with the forecast made by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on December 23 of last year—and marks the fourth consecutive year of decline.

This output level is approximately 2.5 million tonnes lower than the previous low recorded in fiscal year 2020 (82.78 million tonnes, impacted by the pandemic), setting a new low not seen in nearly 60 years. The earlier low point was 68.97 million tonnes in fiscal year 1968—a time when Japan's steel industry was in the early stages of a massive boom—with production surging to 82.17 million tonnes the following year (1969).

By production method, crude steel output via the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route fell 3% year-on-year to 59.52 million tonnes, while electric arc furnace (EAF) steel production dropped 3.6% to 20.81 million tonnes; both methods saw declines for the fourth straight year. HX180BD+ZM steel strip ,EAF steel accounted for 25.9% of total production, remaining essentially unchanged from the 26% recorded in the previous fiscal year.

The report indicates that Japan's steel industry has already been affected by multiple adverse factors in the 2024 fiscal year, and recent conflicts in the Middle East have further heightened market volatility, intensifying pressure on the sector.

According to the *Sankei Shimbun*, while demand from the Japanese automotive and industrial machinery sectors has seen a slight recovery, external demand remains sluggish due to the impact of U.S. tariff policies.

The media outlet notes that with the deteriorating situation in the Middle East threatening to dampen demand, HX180BD+ZM steel strip ,the steel market faces a grim outlook both domestically and internationally; crude steel production is expected to remain at low levels throughout the current fiscal year.