Nippon Steel resumes operations in Oita

Nippon Steel to resume blast furnace operations on recovery in demand. Nippon Steel Corp. said Tuesday it will resume operating a blast furnace at its Oita steelworks in southwestern Japan on Aug. 2 in response to a rebound in demand for steel mainly from automakers. The No. 1 Oita blast furnace, one of the largest in the world, was idled Feb. 1 due to a sharp decline in steel demand. With July-September crude steel production expected to grow substantially from the previous quarter, Japan's largest steelmaker has decided to resume operating the blast furnace. Nippon Steel said it is also considering resuming the operation of blast furnaces in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, and Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.