How much steel does Japan produce and export?
Japan is the 4th largest producer of steel: 81 million tonnes in 2025, 4.3% of the world's 1.9 billion tonnes (USGS MCS). It is the 2nd largest exporter by value: $9.5 billion in 2024, 14% of world exports of hot-rolled steel coil (HS 7208) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is South Korea, which takes 16% of its steel exports by value.
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Japan's steel production
| World rank | Production (tonnes) | Share of world | Ten-year growth | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 81 million tonnes | 4.3% | — | 2025 |
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, MCS 2026.
Japan's steel exports
| World rank | Export value | Share of world exports | Quantity (tonnes) | Average value per tonne | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $9.5 billion | 14% | 14.8 million t | $641 | 2024 |
CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 7208 (Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel, hot-rolled, not clad).
Where Japan's steel goes
| Destination | Value | Share of Japan's exports |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | $1.5B | 16% |
| Thailand | $1.3B | 13% |
| India | $788M | 8.3% |
| Vietnam | $708M | 7.5% |
| China | $705M | 7.4% |
Japan as a buyer of steel
Of its $1.4 billion of steel imports in 2024, 64% came from South Korea and 24% from Other Asia, nes, among 30 suppliers.
Cite as: Commodity Origins, "Japan steel: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/JPN/steel/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.