Japan Crude Steel Output Falls to 57-Year Low in 2025

Tokyo, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)–Crude steel production in Japan in 2025 fell to its lowest level in 57 years because of sluggish domestic construction demand and falling prices, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said Thursday. Annual output fell for the fourth straight year, sliding 4 pct to 80.67 million tons. It was the lowest level since 1968, when production totaled 66.87 million tons. Construction demand in Japan weakened amid soaring materials costs and labor shortages. International steel prices dropped due to excess exports from China. Production of ordinary steel, primarily used for construction, fell 4.3 pct to 62.47 million tons, while that of special steel, mainly for automakers and other manufacturers, decreased 2.7 pct to 18.2 million tons. Both figures shrank for four years in a row. Japanese steel output has been on the decline since peaking at 120.2 million tons in 2007. “Global conditions are changing drastically, so the future is hard to forecast,” a federation official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]