Japanese steel exports have risen 12% year on year to 35.913 million mt in fiscal 2006 running from April 2006 to March 2007, Japan Iron & Steel Federation said on Wednesday.

The export volume had been falling year on year from fiscal 2002. The volume rose in fiscal 2006 on the back of stronger global demand.

Exports to South Korea rose 15.4% year on year to 8.92 million mt, to China up 15.4% to 6.40 million mt, to Taiwan up 2.2% to 3.60 million mt, and to the US up 21.6% to 1.96 million mt.

Specialty steel exports outpaced the growth of ordinary steel exports. Specialty steel exports rose 27.5% year on year to 5.61 million mt, while ordinary steel exports were up 10.5% to 24.68 million mt.

Semi-finished steel product exports were up 4.4% year on year to 4.57 million mt, and ferroalloys exports up 7.3% to 0.16 million mt. Japanese ferroalloy exports are mostly ferronickel.

Steel imports during the period also rose. The imports were up 11.4% year on year to 8.67 million mt.