Based on final Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,433,000 net tons (NT) of steel in February 2019, including 1,744,000 NT of finished steel (down 30.1 percent and 28.8 percent, respectively, vs. January final data).
Through the first two months of 2019, total and finished steel imports are 5,912,000 and 4,194,000 NT, up 10.2 percent and down 3.6 percent, respectively, vs. the same period in 2018. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 20 percent in February and is estimated at 22 percent over the first 2 months of 2019.
Major products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2018 include reinforcing bars (up 73 percent), line pipe (up 58 percent) and cut lengths plates (up 18 percent).
In February, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (187,000 NT, down 48 percent from January final), Japan (124,000 NT, up 17 percent), Germany (81,000 NT, down 40 percent), Italy (75,000 NT, up 8 percent) and Taiwan (72,000 NT, down 28 percent). For the first two months of 2019, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (548,000 NT, down 13 percent vs. the same period in 2018), Japan (230,000 NT, down 4 percent), Germany (215,000 NT, no change), Taiwan (173,000 NT, down 12 percent) and Brazil (151,000 NT, down 1 percent).
Published in the June 2019 Edition
