Japan's crude steel output fell 0.2 percent in February from a year earlier, marking sixth straight month of decline, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said on Thursday.
This was partly due to the effects of an increase in sales tax last April which hit demand for products such as cars. Labour shortages in the construction industry also dampened demand for steel.
Crude steel output dropped to 8.43 million tonnes in February from a year earlier.
The decrease is in line with a 0.7 percent slip predicted for the January-March quarter by Japan's trade ministry in December.
Output of wide strips, mainly used for automobiles and electrical appliances, fell 2.1 percent from a year earlier, logging four consecutive months of declines. Production of small steel bars, used for construction, slid 8.0 percent, the sixth month in a row that this has fallen.
Output, which is not seasonally-adjusted, decreased 6.5 percent from January.
Source: Reuters