According to statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance, Japan's cold rolled steel coil and sheet exports totaled 217,686 metric tons in January this year, falling by 21.6 percent compared to December 2012 and down 3.2 percent year on year.

In January, China was Japan's largest cold rolled steel export destination, receiving a total of 59,618 metric tons, down 16.15 percent compared to January 2012, while Japan's exports to Thailand in January this year amounted to 33,915 metric tons, rising by 14.2 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.

In 2012, Japan's cold rolled steel exports had decreased by 14.4 percent compared to the previous year, amounting to 3.2 million mt. The country's cold rolled steel exports had recorded a 7.3 percent year-on-year decrease in 2011.