-
Global automobile production by Japan’s eight major automakers during the fiscal 2020 (April 2020-March 2021) fell to a nine-year low, or recording a 12.2% on-year decline to about 23.12 million units, according to the latest data released by the automakers, though the on-year decline was not as steep as the market had expected.
-
China’s heavy trucks sales may have slowed in April, with the sales volume expected to grow 4% on year but down 14% on month, as demand may take a pause after a robust March even though the National Stage VI specifications will be adopted starting H2, according to the projection by the Beijing-headquartered Commercial Vehicle World (CVWorld) on May 5.
-
Japan’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for its manufacturing industry for April rose by another 0.9 basis points on month to 53.6, indicating that Japanese manufacturers expect a stronger degree of positive sentiment regarding the year-ahead outlook for output, according to data from index compiler au Jibun Bank Corporation, released on April 30.
-
Starting July 1, China will ban both production and sales of new diesel-fuelled heavy-duty trucks with emission not up to the National Stage VI specifications, according to a recent release by the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and MIIT, to minimize any confusion, even listed out the auto makers, auto models, and auto parts that are to be eliminated in the April 21 notice.
-
Japan’s steel value chain including steel producers and end-users expects little impact of the third state of emergency on their operations, even though the latest partial lockdown will be running over April 25-May 11, affecting Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto and Hyogo in western Japan.
-
China’s production of the four major home appliances increased significantly in the first quarter of this year, given the low bases in the same period last year, as well as their sustained strong export business. But dampening the manufacturers’ mood was the rise in raw materials and other input costs, Mysteel Global noted.
-
Like their counterparts worldwide, carmakers in China are struggling with the shortage of automotive-use semiconductors, and with the chip shortage expected to be prolonged, fears are growing that production delays could undermine the strength of the country’s burgeoning market for New Energy Vehicles (NEVs).
-
Japan’s crude steel output during fiscal 2020 (April 2020-March 2021) including both carbon and special steel declined to a new low since fiscal 1969, down 15.9% on year to about 82.8 million tonnes, according to the latest data from the Japan Iron & Steel Federation (JISF) released on April 22.
-
Over January-March, China’s shipbuilders received new vessel orders totalling 17.2 million dead weight tons (dwt), up 251.7% on year and much higher than the 105% on-year rise for January-February, mainly due to the low base in Q1 2020 and growing demand for container vessels, according to the data released by the China Association of National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) on April 21.
-
Japan’s finished steel exports of all grades and forms for the fiscal year 2020 (April 2020-March 2021) slumped to its 20-year low of about 30.8 million tonnes, or down 12.2% on year, Mysteel Global noted from the latest preliminary data released by Japan’s Ministry of Finance on April 19.
-
Hopes are rising in Japan that India’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) has decided against imposing anti-dumping duties on stainless flat-rolled products imported from Japan and 14 other countries but the Japanese government is awaiting formal clarification before celebrating too loudly.
-
Japan’s crude steel demand including both carbon and special steel for both domestic sales and exports will stay on the recovery path over April-June, though on quarter, it may decline by 1.8% to about 23.24 million tonnes, according to the latest forecast released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on April 13.
-
The value of machinery orders won by Japanese manufacturers for all industrial applications soared by 219.4% on year to Yen 987.3 billion ($9 billion) in February, according to the latest release by The Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers (JSIM) published on April 12.
-
China’s sales of excavators both at home and abroad stayed robust, or gaining 85% on year to 126,941 units for Q1, according to the latest data from China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA) on April 8, partly due to low base numbers in the corresponding period of 2020 but also suggesting that the demand in and out of China has so far been rather solid.
-
Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corp (NSSC), Japan’s largest stainless producer, has decided not to change its April prices of the 300-series cold-rolled coils (CRCs) and plates to its domestic sales distributors, though the stainless prices have shown an uptrend, a company official shared on April 8.
-
JFE Steel, Japan’s second largest integrated mill and No.2 stainless producer, has decided to raise its prices of 400-series stainless flats by Yen 25,000/tonne ($228/t) for April bookings by the domestic buyers for spot and non-formula-based long-term deals to reflect higher production costs, according to a company official on Wednesday.
-
Sales of heavy trucks throughout China during March increased by 86% from February and by 83% on year to around 220,000 units, according to preliminary estimates from trucking industry news portal, Commercial Vehicle World (CVWorld) posted on April 1. If the estimate proves correct, the March total would represent the highest monthly sales on record, CVWold said, noting that last month’s sizzling performance reflected robust demand from major construction projects.
-
Global vehicle output by Japan’s eight major automakers rose 3.7% on year in February to about 1.92 million units, according to data released by the automakers until end of March. The increase was welcomed by steelmakers but market sources warned that the worldwide shortage of semi-conductors remains and could impact vehicle production, denting steel sales to the automakers.
-
Japan’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for its manufacturing industry for March touched a new high since October 2018, or up for the second month by another 1.3 basis points on month to 52.7, indicating the continuing recovery among the Japanese manufacturers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from au Jibun Bank Corporation.
-
Toyota Motor, Japan’s largest automaker, has notified its auto components suppliers of its plan to raise its vehicle output target for April by 40,000 units, or about 15% to 300,000 units from the original number, sources in Tokyo and Nagoya in central Japan confirmed on March 30, though the auto chips shortage has consistently worried the steel market sources.
