US preliminary steel imports up by 9% in October
Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported that the US imported a total of 3,059,000 net tons of steel in October, including 2,233,000 net tons of finished steel (up 8.5% and 2.7%, respectively, vs September final data). Year-to-date total and finished steel imports are 27,010,000 and 20,986,000 net tons (NT), respectively, down 5% each, respectively, vs. 2012. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2013 would be 32.4 and 25.2 million net tons, down 3% each, respectively vs. 2012. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 24% in October and is estimated at 23% YTD.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in October 2013 compared to September are sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 89%), oil country goods (up 53%), cold rolled sheets (up 34%) and sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 31%).
Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include
Reinforcing bars (up 25%)
Hot rolled bars (up 16%)
Sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 12%).
In October, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were from
South Korea (369,000 net tons, up 9% vs. September final)
China (214,000 net tons, up 10%)
Japan (126,000 net tons, down 34%)
India (117,000 net tons, up 117%)
Germany (105,000 net tons, up 19%)
For ten months of 2013, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (3,143,000 net tons, down 2%), Japan (1,607,000 net tons, down 6%), China (1,592,000
net tons, up 20%), Turkey (1,083,000 net tons, down 9%) and Germany (911,000 net tons, down 13%).
Source – Strategic Research Institute