Japan's ferrous scrap exports reached a four-year high in April at 742,000 tons, a year-on-year surge of 57.3%, driven by strong demand from Vietnam and Bangladesh. Total exports in the January-April period climbed by 26% year on year to 2.61 million tons.

Japanese suppliers foresaw sustained high export volumes as domestic steel production remains low, with mills planning summer maintenance. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) forecasted a 4.3% year-on-year drop in crude steel output to 20.33 million tons for the second quarter.

Exports to Vietnam remained strong, up by 36.7% to 1.13 million tons in the first four months of the year, driven by the construction sector recovery. Bangladesh imports surged by five times in April to 148,000 tons, while shipments to India nearly doubled to 51,000 tons. South Korea, however, had a decline in imports due to depressed domestic scrap prices.