In February this year, Japanese crude steel production decreased by 6.2 percent compared to the previous month, while it fell by 3.4 percent year on year, totaling 8.3 million mt, according to the data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF). Japanese crude steel production had witnessed a 3.5 percent month-on-month increase in January this year.

Meanwhile, Japan's pig iron production in February this year totaled 6.36 million metric tons, decreasing by 9.5 percent month on month and down 0.5 percent compared to the same month last year.

In the January-February period of this year, the country's pig iron output stood at 13.4 million metric tons, rising 3.2 percent, while its crude steel production came to 17.2 million metric tons, falling slightly by 0.4 percent, both compared to the corresponding period of 2012.

Japan's steel product output tonnages in February 2013: