Washington, D.C. – Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that steel import permit applications for the month of April totaled 2,579,000 net tons (NT)*. This was an 19.8% decrease from the 3,214,000 permit tons recorded in March and a 16.6% decrease from the March final imports total of 3,092,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in April was 2,093,000, down 16.3% from the final imports total of 2,499,000 in March. For the first four months of 2022 (including April SIMA permits and March final imports), total and finished steel imports were 11,062,000 NT and 8,711,000 NT, up 19.4% and 42.3%, respectively, from the same period in 2021. The estimated finished steel import market share in April was 25% and is 24% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in April permits vs. the March final imports include tin plate (up 31%) and standard rail (up 200%). Products with significant year-to date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2021 include wire rods (up 137%), cold rolled sheets (up 88%), tin plate (up 80%), oil country goods (up 80%) and sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 45%).

In April, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (583,000 NT, down 11% from March final), Mexico (392,000 NT, down 28%), Brazil (258,000 NT, down 26%), South Korea (198,000 NT, down 38%) and Taiwan (104,000 NT, no change). Through the first four months of 2022, the largest suppliers were Canada (2,283,000 NT, down 1% from the same period last year), Mexico (1,950,000 NT, up 42%) and Brazil (1,245,000 NT, down 35%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel products and are not actual import volumes. For a number of reasons, permit tonnages may understate or overstate actual import volumes for the month, preliminary estimates of which will be available later this month.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.

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