Metalnewsnet 13 May ：

According to a survey by the Japan Ferrous Raw Materials Association, Japan's ferrous scrap shipments including exports totaled 29,382,000 tonnes in calendar 2009, down by 8,157,000 tonnes or 21.7% YoY.

As a result, the nation's annual ferrous scrap shipments fell short of 30 million tonnes for the first time since the association started its survey of the shipments in calendar 2002. The association describes the findings of its survey this time as follows:

Japan's various steel companies purchased a total of 20,285,000 tonnes of locally available ferrous scrap in calendar 2009, down by 12,047,000 tonnes or 37.3% YoY. Of the total purchase volume, processed ferrous scrap accounted for the first 5,663,000 tonnes or 27.9% YoY and obsolete ferrous scrap the remaining 14,622,000 tonnes or 72.1% YoY.

In the breakdown of the total purchase volume by grades, Shindachi accounted for 3,512,000 tonnes or 17.3%, heavy ferrous scrap 11,515,000 tonnes or 56.8%, shredded ferrous scrap 1,709,000 tonnes or 8.4%, steel turnings 1,517,000 tonnes or 7.5%, pressed ferrous scrap 674,000 tonnes or 3.3%, mixed HMS 59,000 tonnes or 5.9% and others 666,000 tonnes or 3.3%.

Of the total purchase volume of heavy ferrous scrap, P&S steel scrap made up 2,945,000 tonnes or 14.5%, No1 HMS 3,002,000 tonnes or 14.8%, No2 HMS 3,171,000 tonnes or 15.6% and others 2,398,000 tonnes or 11.8%.

Japan's exports of ordinary ferrous scrap totaled 9,097,000 tonnes in calendar 2009, up by 3,889,000 tonnes or 74.7%, when they hit an all time high.

( from TEX Report Limited)