According to trade data released by Japan's Ministry of Finance on August 28, Japan imported around 18,100 tons of cold-rolled stainless steel sheets in July 2026, down by 1.8% year on year yet up by 7.9% month on month. This was the highest monthly import volume so far this year, partly due to increased purchases ahead of the implementation of anti-dumping measures. 

Among all the buyer countries, South Korea was the largest one, with exports to Japan reaching 8,890 tons. While imports from China fell by 62.6% to 3,460 tons, imports from Taiwan dropped by 71.5% to 1,400 tons.