Key facts
- Japan's steel exports declined 4% year on year in the six months through September 2026, per Nikkei Asia.
- The first fiscal half figure was the lowest since 1997.
Japan's steel exports slid 4% on the year in the six months through September 2026, sinking to the lowest for a first fiscal half since 1997, Nikkei Asia reported on November 9.
The report linked the decline to a mounting global trend toward protectionism, with antidumping probes widening beyond China. It did not give export volumes by destination or product category, and it did not name a government or industry body as the source of the figure.
The report said a slump in steel product exports can lead to gluts in the domestic market, and it ran the item alongside unrelated material coverage, including a separate report on losses in the Chinese steel industry. Those other items are not part of this record.