Japan's Apr stainless CRC imports stay at high levels

In April, Japan imported 13,884 tonnes of stainless cold-rolled coils (CRCs), up 5.4% on year, according to the latest data released by Trade Statistics of Japan. Market sources attributed the rise to the supplement of domestic supply and the lower prices for imported materials.

Japan's April CRC imports were 13.7% lower on month, but sources shared it was due to the high base in March with delayed parcels from the previous months being delivered. "Japan has been importing about 14,000 tonnes/month of stainless CRC since the 2021 fiscal year (April 2021-March 2022), higher than