Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 3,586,000 net tons (NT) of steel in June, including 2,706,000 NT of finished steel (down 11.1 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively, versus May final data).
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in June compared to May are cold rolled sheets (up 26 percent), cut lengths plates (up 26 percent) and tin plate (up 14 percent). Major products with significant YTD import increases versus the same period last year include wire rods (up 100 percent), plates in coils (up 69 percent), cold rolled sheets (up 67 percent), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 51 percent), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 48 percent), hot rolled sheets (42 percent), cut lengths plates up 37 percent), mechanical tubing (34 percent), oil country goods (up 28 percent), heavy structural shapes (up 25 percent), reinforcing bars (up 15 percent) and tin plate (up 15 percent).
In June, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were from South Korea (457,000 NT, down 22 percent versus May final), China (230,000 NT, down 25 percent), Turkey (189,000 NT, up 25 percent), Japan (138,000 NT, down 5 percent) and German (102,000 NT, down 3 percent).
Published in the September 2014 Edition of American Recycler News