[ferro-alloys.com] The Japan Iron and Steel Federation released on 1st preliminary statistics on steel inventories of the steel manufacturers and distributors in the end of August, 2013.

According to this, all inventories of ordinary steel products were 6,481 thousand tonne, up 175 thousand tonne or 2.8% from the end of the previous month (6,306 thousand tonne) which increased for the first time in 2 months.

By holder, inventories carried by the steel manufacturers were 5,153 thousand tonne, up 153 thousand tonne or 3.1% from the end of the previous month (5,000 thousand tonne) which increased for the first time in 2 months, and the distributors' inventories were 1,329 thousand tonne, up 23 t/t or 1.7% from the end of the previous month (1,306 thousand tonne) which increased also for the first time in 2 months.

By market, inventories for the domestic market were 5,546 t/t, up 186 t/t or 3.5% from the end of the previous month (5,360 t/t) for the first time in 2 months while those for standing by for export shipments were 935 t/t, down 10 thousand tonne or 1.1% from the end of the previous month (946 thousand tonne) for 2 months in a row.