Japan Oct Steel imports up 28 pct yr/yr on yen

Mon Nov 21, 2011

TOKYO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Japanese imports of steel grew 28 percent from a year ago in October as the strong yen widened a price gap between domestic and foreign producers, preliminary customs data showed on Monday.

Details of the September data are as follows (value column in millions of yen):

Volume           Yr/Yr       Value   Yr/Yr  
    
Grain           1,981,001  tonnes    -3.2%     66,591    36.4% 
(from U.S.)    1,215,350  tonnes   -12.4%     37,237    29.1% 
Soybeans          314,904  tonnes     8.1%     15,098    22.6% 
(from U.S.)      129,773  tonnes    -2.4%      6,160     8.2% 
Meat              214,589  tonnes    15.3%     90,645    20.9% 
(from U.S.)       55,559  tonnes    28.8%     24,287    26.6% 
Nonferrous Ore  1,379,000  tonnes    14.8%    126,557    -4.3% 
Nonferrous Met    317,792  tonnes      21%    144,526    15.9% 
Steel             793,954  tonnes    28.4%     90,042    32.5%

(sourced Reuters)