Japan’s exports of hot rolled (HR) steel flat products totaled 1.4 million tons in March, rising by 13.7% from a month ago and increasing by 11.8% year on year, according to data released by the Ministry of Finance. In the first quarter of this year, the country’s exports of HR steel flat products amounted to 4 million tons, increasing by 23.6% year on year.

In the given period of time, the country’s exports of HR steel flat products to Korea totaled 880,935 tons, down by 15%; those to Thailand were at 405,440 tons, decreasing by 3.7%; those to Vietnam were at 426,366 tons, soaring by 80.2%, all compared to those in the same period of a year earlier.