Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Thursday that the US imported a total of 2,761,000 net tons (nt) of steel in September, including 2,117,000 nt of finished steel (each down 4.1 percent vs. August final data). Year-to-date (YTD) total and finished steel imports are 23,892,000 nt and 18,694,000 nt, respectively, down 7 percent and 6 percent vs. 2012. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2013 would be 31.9 million nt and 24.9 million nt, down 5 percent and 4 percent respectively vs. 2012. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 23 percent in September and is estimated at 23 percent YTD.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in September 2013 compared to August are cut lengths plates (up 60 percent), hot rolled bars (up 47 percent), tin plate (up 35 percent) and plates in coils (up 16 percent). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include reinforcing bars (up 22 percent) and hot rolled bars (up 12 percent).
In September, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were from South Korea (317,000 nt, down 15 percent vs. August final), China (194,000 nt, up 77 percent), Japan (191,000 nt, up 4 percent), Turkey (115,000 nt, up 24 percent) and The Netherlands (108,000 nt, up 38 percent). For nine months of 2013, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (2,752,000 nt, down 2 percent), Japan (1,481,000 nt, down 3 percent), China (1,378,000 nt, up 16 percent), Turkey (1,006,000 nt, down 10 percent) and Germany (806,000 nt, down 14 percent). Below are charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by country.
