Nippon Steel Corporation has been lowering the tapping ratio of blast furnaces, extending the time between blasting, and taking other measures to reduce overall steel output volume. Responding to the immediate sharp drop in demand for steel products, however, Nippon Steel has decided to implement additional measures.

Move up the scheduled blow off, suspension of operation to renovate the No 2 blast furnace of Hokkai Iron & Coke Corporation that has the pig iron facilities in the Muroran Works from the beginning of July 2020, as soon as preparations are completed.

The banking of the No 2 blast furnace at the Kyushu Works Yawata area in Kokura will be carried out from the beginning of July 2020, as soon as preparations are completed. The No 2 blast furnace was planned to be shutdown by around the end of first half of FY2020

Banking is to take measures to temporarily stop blast furnace production but make it possible to restart production at a later date by stopping the air blast flow.

We intend to continue responding to changes in steel demand in Japan and overseas and carrying out prompt and effective production adjustment.