US Preliminary Steel Imports tumbled 9% in September

By Carolina Curiel (ScrapMonster Author)

October 27, 2015 02:14:09 AM

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that the U.S. imported a total of 2,773,000 net tons (NT) of steel in September 2015, including 2,168,000net tons (NT) of finished steel (down 9.4% and 12.5%, respectively, vs. August final data).

Year-to-date (YTD) total and finished steel imports are 30,841,000 and 25,122,000 net tons (NT), respectively, down 5% and up 3% respectively, vs. the same period in 2014. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 25% in September.

Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in September compared to August are cut lengths plates (up 36%) and tin plate (up 39%).

The major products that recorded significant rise in import volumes year-to-date in comparison with the similar nine-month period in 2014 are reinforcing bars (up 48%), line pipe (up 34%), standard pipe (up 23%), tin plate (up 20%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 12%) and wire drawn (up 11%).

ALSO SEE Scrap Steel Price List

In September, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (279,000 NT, down 8% vs. August final), Japan (181,000 NT, down 16%), Turkey (151,000 NT, down 12%), Germany (148,000 NT, up 74%) and China (139,000 NT, down 11%).

The largest offshore suppliers for the initial nine-month period of the year were South Korea (3,949,000 NT, down 2%), Turkey (2,189,000 NT, up 48%), China (2,100,000 NT, down 10%), Japan (1,806,000 NT, up 18%) and Germany (1,201,000 NT, up 33%).

Courtesy: American Iron and Steel Institute