According to data released by Japan’s Ministry of Finance, the country’s exports of iron and steel products totaled 3.28 million tons in October, down by 1.56% year on year and falling by 5.1% form a month ago.

Meanwhile, the country’s imports of iron and steel products totaled 676,300 tons, soaring by 18.47% month on month and falling by 7.96% year on year.

In the first ten months of this year, the country’s steel exports amounted to 36.22 million tons, increasing by 4.22% year on year.

In the given period of time, Korea was the largest importer of the Japanese iron and steel products with 6.63 million tons, decreasing by 4.73%; China was the second largest one with 5 million tons, down by 1.72% and Taiwan was the third largest one with 3.2 million tons, soaring by 10.87%, all compared to the figures in the same period of 2012.