Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 1,663,000 net tons (NT) of steel in February 2026, including 1,171,000 NT of finished steel (up 0.8 percent and down 6.2 percent, respectively, vs. January 2026). Total and finished steel imports are down 37.6 percent and 38.5 percent, respectively, year-to-date vs. 2025. Over the 12-month period March 2025 to February 2026, total and finished steel imports are down 20.3 percent and 24.7 percent, respectively, vs. the prior 12 month period. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 15 percent in February and is estimated at 15 percent over the first two months of 2026.
Key steel products with a significant import increase in February compared to January are line pipe (up 51 percent), hot rolled bars (up 30 percent), blooms, billets and slabs (up 23 percent) and oil country goods (up 21 percent).
In February, the largest suppliers were South Korea (305,000 NT, up 7 percent vs. January), Brazil (247,000 NT, up 39 percent), Canada (225,000 NT, up 3 percent), Mexico (175,000 NT, down 25 percent) and Japan (141,000 NT, up 236 percent). Over the 12-month period March 2025 to February 2026, the largest suppliers were Canada (3,838,000 NT, down 41 percent vs, compared to the previous 12-months), Brazil (3,518,000 NT, down 23 percent), South Korea (2,732,000 NT, down 7 percent), Mexico (2,483,000 NT, down 30 percent) and Germany (1,047,000 NT, down 6 percent).
Published May 2026
