Washington, D.C. – Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that the U.S. imported a total of 3,010,000 net tons (NT) of steel in July 2021, including 2,060,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (up 2.8% and 0.5%, respectively, vs. June final data). Through the first seven months of 2021, total and finished steel imports are 17,729,000 and 12,086,000 net tons (NT), up 17.4% and 20.6%, respectively, vs. the same period in 2020. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2021 would be 30.4 and 20.7 million NT, up 38.0% and 28.4%, respectively, vs. 2020. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 21% in July and is estimated at 20% over the first seven months of 2021.
Key finished steel products with a significant increase in imports in July compared to June are sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 48%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 29%), mechanical tubing (up 25%), tin plate (up 16%), heavy structural shapes (up 14%) and cut lengths plates (up 11%). Products with a significant year-to-date (YTD) increase vs. the same period in 2020 were hot rolled sheets (up 76%), plates in coils (up 52%), cut lengths plates (up 44%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 41%), wire rods (up 40%), wire drawn (up 22%), hot rolled bars (up 17%), heavy structural shapes (up 16%), tin plate (up 13%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 12%) and cold rolled sheet (up 12%).
In July, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (293,000 NT, up 7% from June final), Vietnam (101,000 NT, up 165%), Taiwan (77,000 NT, down 8%), Germany (70,000 NT, down 27%) and Japan (67,000 NT, down 44%). For the first seven months of 2021, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,624,000 NT, up 27% vs. the same period in 2020), Japan (590,000 NT, up 22%), Turkey (485,000 NT, up 29%), Germany (480,000 NT, up 14%) and Taiwan (434,000 NT, up 17%). Below are charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by country.
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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 also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. 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 or Twitter (@AISISteel
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