Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,123,000 net tons (NT) of steel in December 2024, including 1,820,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (up 2.7 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively, vs. November 2024). Full year 2024 total and finished steel imports were 28,858,000 and 22,500,000 net tons (NT), up 2.5 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, vs. 2023. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 21 percent in December and is estimated at 23 percent for full year 2024.
Key steel products with a significant import increase in December compared to November are hot rolled sheets (up 67 percent), tin plate (up 61 percent), plates in coils (up 48 percent), wire rods (42 percent) and standard pipe (up 41 percent). Products with a significant increase in imports for the full year of 2024 vs. 2023 include sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 52 percent), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 36 percent), tin plate (up 32 percent), cold rolled sheets (up 26 percent) and wire rods (up 19 percent).
In December, the largest suppliers were Canada (521,000 NT, up 10 percent from November), Mexico (327,000 NT, up 16 percent), South Korea (208,000 NT, up 17 percent), Brazil (114,000 NT, down 63 percent), and Vietnam (109,000 NT, down 9 percent).
For full year 2024 the largest suppliers were Canada (6,557,000 NT, down 5 percent vs. 2023), Brazil (4,498,000 NT, up 14 percent), Mexico (3,517,000 NT, down 16 percent), South Korea (2,809,000 NT, up 7 percent) and Vietnam (1,363,000 NT, up 143 percent).
Published March 2025
