Japan's crude steel output is forecast to rise 9.6% in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, helped by a recovery in manufacturing, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said on Friday.
It would mark the third straight quarterly rise.
The ministry estimated crude steel output at 24.11 million tonnes for three-month period, up from 21.99 million tonnes a year earlier, reflecting a pick-up in demand in areas such as auto manufacturing and industrial machinery.