Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,614,000 net tons (NT) of steel in March 2023, including 1,906,000 NT of finished steel (up 14.2 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively, vs. February 2023). Total and finished steel imports are down 11.5 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, year-to-date vs. 2022. Over the 12-month period April 2022 to March 2023, total and finished steel imports are down 10.3 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, vs. the prior 12-month period. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 22 percent in March and is estimated at 23 percent over the first three months of 2023.
Key steel products with a significant import increase in March compared to February are cut lengths plates (up 53 percent), tin plate (up 44 percent), hot rolled sheets (up 41 percent), ingots and billets and slabs (up 31 percent) and oil country goods (up 29 percent). Products with a significant increase in imports over the 12-month period April 2022 to March 2023 compared to the previous 12-month period include line pipe (up 46 percent), oil country goods (up 42 percent), standard pipe (up 29 percent), heavy structural shapes (up 20 percent) and tin plate (up 11 percent).
In March, the largest suppliers were Canada (660,000 NT, up 23 percent vs. February), Brazil (457,000 NT, up 30 percent), Mexico (437,000 NT, up 14 percent), South Korea (187,000 NT, down 17 percent) and Japan (117,000 NT, up 117 percent). Over the 12-month period April 2022 to March 2023, the largest suppliers were Canada (6,950,000 NT, no change compared to the previous 12-months), Mexico (5,018,000 NT, down 6 percent), Brazil (2,787,000 NT, down 32 percent), South Korea (2,670,000 NT, down 6 percent) and Japan (1,278,000 NT, up 11 percent).
As published in June 2023 issue of American Recycler.