According to the forecast released by the Ministry ofEconomy, Trade and Industry, Japan's crude steel output in the third quarter ofthis year will reach 26.54 million tons, an increase of 2.3%.

    The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statementthat Japan's steel demand in the third quarter is expected to be 23.75 milliontons, up 0.7% year-on-year; previously demand for steel in the second quarterof Japan is forecast to increase by 2.8%. Among them, the constructionindustry's demand for ordinary carbon steel in the third quarter is expected toremain stable year-on-year, up 6.8% from the previous month to 5.44 milliontons. In the third quarter of the manufacturing industry, the demand forordinary carbon steel was 7.04 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 1.5%and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.8%.

    The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also said thatdemand for steel in recent projects in Japan has continued to be stable, suchas urban development and demand for projects related to the 2020 TokyoOlympics. The demand for steel in the Japanese real estate industry continuesto decline.