The top 5 steelmakers in Japan announced that they are planning to raise their annual production by 7.2 percent by the end of March 2009 reported Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Nippon Steel Corp, JFE Steel Corp, Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd, Kobe Steel and Nisshin Steel accounts for 75 percent of the total domestic crude steel production at present. Total crude steel production by the 5 companies is expected to total 89.4 million tons by the end 2009. Nippon Steel will lift their production by 2.6 percent to 32 million tons by the end of the 2008-09 financial year ending March 2009. JFE is expected to raise their output to 30 million tons, up 12 percent. Kobe will lift their output by 8.5 percent to 8.2 million tons while Nisshin will raise their output by 13.5 percent to 4.2 million tons. Sumitomo will raise production by 5.3 percent to 14 million tons. (Apr. 14)