Posted on 19 Nov 2025
After hitting multi-year lows, Japan's combined monthly domestic and export orders for ordinary steel products rebounded in September, reaching their highest level this year, according to data by the Japan Iron & Steel Federation (JISF).
September orders rose 13.3% month-on-month and 7.2% year-on-year to 4.732 million tonnes, Kallanish notes. The 22.2% monthly increase in exports indicated that the disruptions caused by tariffs were fading, triggering a new round of overseas orders.
Domestic demand also grew by 8% on-month to 2.76mt. The monthly rebound in September was mainly supported by growth in the buildings and public civil engineering construction sectors.
Total orders between April and September, the first half of fiscal year ending March 2026, fell by 3.2% versus a year earlier to 27.338mt. The narrowing of the decline accelerated further compared to the previous month.
Excluding orders of non-reporting companies, domestic and overseas orders were down 0.6% and 6.9% y-o-y respectively, reaching 16.332mt and 10.594mt.
In terms of domestic demand, residential buildings, industrial machinery and equipment, and automobiles are among the few sectors that have seen growth.
Steel sheet pilings, wire rod, and hot rolled sheet are the only three products where orders have increased against the overall downward trend.
Source:Kallanish
