AISI: Preliminary Steel Imports Decrease 2% in March 2014
04/24/2014 - Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 3,219,000 tons of steel in March 2014, including 2,425,000 tons of finished steel (down 2.0% and up 6.6%, respectively, vs. February final data).
Year-to-date (YTD) total and finished steel imports are 9,710,000 and 7,141,000 tons, respectively, up 26% and 17% respectively, vs. 2013. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2014 would be 38.8 and 28.6 million tons, up 21% and 15% respectively vs. 2013. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 25% in March and is estimated at 25% YTD.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in March compared to February are reinforcing bar (up 66%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 56%), wire rods (up 35%), tin plate (up 31%), cold rolled sheets (up 27%) and cut lengths plates (up 18%). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include wire rods (up 91%), plates in coils (up 86%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 43%), hot rolled sheets (up 41%), cold rolled sheets (up 33%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 31%), reinforcing bar (up 28%), cut lengths plates (up 20%), and oil country goods (up 19%).
In March, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (345,000 tons, down 11% vs. February final), China (200,000 tons, up 13%), Japan (170,000 tons, up 10%), Turkey (169,000 tons, up 70%) and Russia (99,000 tons, down 5%). For three months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,166,000 tons, up 21%), China (567,000 tons, up 27%), Japan (497,000 tons, up 11%), Turkey (469,000 tons, up 16%) and India (300,000 tons, up 64%). Below are charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by country.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in March compared to February are reinforcing bar (up 66%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 56%), wire rods (up 35%), tin plate (up 31%), cold rolled sheets (up 27%) and cut lengths plates (up 18%). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include wire rods (up 91%), plates in coils (up 86%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 43%), hot rolled sheets (up 41%), cold rolled sheets (up 33%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 31%), reinforcing bar (up 28%), cut lengths plates (up 20%), and oil country goods (up 19%).
In March, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (345,000 tons, down 11% vs. February final), China (200,000 tons, up 13%), Japan (170,000 tons, up 10%), Turkey (169,000 tons, up 70%) and Russia (99,000 tons, down 5%). For three months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,166,000 tons, up 21%), China (567,000 tons, up 27%), Japan (497,000 tons, up 11%), Turkey (469,000 tons, up 16%) and India (300,000 tons, up 64%). Below are charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by country.
