According to customs data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), Japan exported 2.56 million tons of steel products in June, up 7.6% from May and 1.6% y-o-y. 

However, total steel exports for the first half of 2026 reached 14.2 million tons, down 6.9% compared with the same period last year. 

From January to June, steel exports to South Korea increased by 4.5% y-o-y to 2 million tons, while shipments to Thailand edged down 0.8% to 2.1 million tons. Exports to China declined 12.9% to 1.02 million tons, and shipments to Taiwan fell by 27.4% to 775,500 tons. In contrast, exports to the United States rose by 20.6% to 641,100 tons.

Most steel product exports recorded m-o-m growth in June. Cold-rolled coil posted the strongest increase, rising 38.3%, while semi-finished steel exports climbed by 27%. By contrast, hot-rolled coil exports slipped 0.8%, and bar exports recorded a sharper decline of 13.2% from the previous month.