Japan's domestic steel consumption rises 5.7% in Jan-Apr 2026

According to data released by the Japan Iron and Steel Association (JISF), domestic steel product consumption in Japan reached 3.91 million metric tons in April 2026, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.2% compared to the previous month and a significant year-on-year rise of 8.2%.

Over the first four months of 2026, total domestic steel consumption amounted to 15.01 million metric tons, marking a 5.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

A breakdown by sector reveals broad-based growth during the January–April period:

The construction sector consumed 2.79 million metric tons of steel products, up 3.2% year on year.

The automotive sector recorded consumption of 3.84 million metric tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.8%.

The shipbuilding industry consumed 941,656 metric tons of steel products, rising 3.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.