AISI Releases September Import Data; Import Market Share at 28%
10/07/2014 - Based on the U.S. Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that steel import permit applications for the month of September total 3,879,000 tons*.
This was a 5% increase from the 3,678,000 permit tons recorded in August and a 6% increase from the August Preliminary imports total of 3,667,000 tons. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in September was 2,838,000, up 3% from the preliminary imports total of 2,768,000 in August. For the first nine months of 2014 (including September SIMA and August Preliminary), total and finished steel imports were 32,513,000 tons and 24,267,000 tons, respectively, up 36% and 29% from the same period in 2013. The estimated finished steel import market share in September was 28% and is 27% year-to-date (YTD).
Finished steel imports with large increases in September permits vs. the August Preliminary included cold rolled sheets (up 40%), wire rods (up 30%), tin plate (up 26%), cut lengths plates (up 23%) and hot rolled sheets (up 17%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2013 include cold rolled sheets (up 83%), wire rods (up 81%), plates in coils (up 78%), cut lengths plates (up 63%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 57%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 50%), heavy structural shapes (up 47%), hot rolled sheets (up 35%), mechanical tubing (up 31%), oil country goods (up 26%) and tin plate (up 19%).
In September, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (407,000 tons, down 10% from August Preliminary), China (337,000 tons up 49%), Turkey (185,000 tons, down 12%), Russia (171,000, up 66%) and Japan (141,000 tons, down 14%). Through the first nine months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (4,033,000 tons, up 45% from the same period in 2013), China (2,350,000 tons, up 71%) and Japan (1,497,000, up 1%).
* Monthly permit numbers provided to date may be understated, as entry documentation with the required import license number may be submitted up to ten days after imports have entered U.S. commerce.
Finished steel imports with large increases in September permits vs. the August Preliminary included cold rolled sheets (up 40%), wire rods (up 30%), tin plate (up 26%), cut lengths plates (up 23%) and hot rolled sheets (up 17%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2013 include cold rolled sheets (up 83%), wire rods (up 81%), plates in coils (up 78%), cut lengths plates (up 63%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 57%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 50%), heavy structural shapes (up 47%), hot rolled sheets (up 35%), mechanical tubing (up 31%), oil country goods (up 26%) and tin plate (up 19%).
In September, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (407,000 tons, down 10% from August Preliminary), China (337,000 tons up 49%), Turkey (185,000 tons, down 12%), Russia (171,000, up 66%) and Japan (141,000 tons, down 14%). Through the first nine months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (4,033,000 tons, up 45% from the same period in 2013), China (2,350,000 tons, up 71%) and Japan (1,497,000, up 1%).
* Monthly permit numbers provided to date may be understated, as entry documentation with the required import license number may be submitted up to ten days after imports have entered U.S. commerce.
