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AISI: U.S. Preliminary Steel Imports Rise 15% in April
06/03/2014 - Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 3,726,000 tons of steel in April 2014, including 2,738,000 tons of finished steel— up 15.2% and 12.2%, respectively, vs. March 2014 final data.).
Year-to-date (YTD) total and finished steel imports are 13,451,000 and 9,894,000 tons, respectively, up 29% and 20%, respectively, vs. 2013. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2014 would be 40.4 and 29.7 million tons, up 26% and 20%, respectively, vs. 2013. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 27% in April and is estimated at 26% YTD.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in April compared to March were wire rods (up 71%0, heavy structural shapes (up 43%), line pipe (up 34%), cold rolled sheets (up 27%), standard pipe (up 24%, hot rolled bars (up 21%) and plates in coils (up 14%). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include wire rods (up 113%), plate in coils (up 68%), cold rolled sheets (up 52%0, rebar (up 47%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 41%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 35%0, hot rolled sheets (35%), mechanical tubing (31%), OCTG (15%), and cut length plate (up 13%).
In April 2014, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were from China (416,000 tons, up 108% vs. March final), South Korea (401,000 tons, up 16%0, Japan (210,000 tons, up 23%), Turkey (138,000 tons, down 19%), and Russia (106,000 tons, up 6%0. For the first four months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,567,000 tons, up 27%0, China (983,000 tons, up 76%), Japan (707,000 tons, up 8%), Turkey (607,000 tons, up 30%) and Russia (393,000 tons, up 295%).
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in April compared to March were wire rods (up 71%0, heavy structural shapes (up 43%), line pipe (up 34%), cold rolled sheets (up 27%), standard pipe (up 24%, hot rolled bars (up 21%) and plates in coils (up 14%). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include wire rods (up 113%), plate in coils (up 68%), cold rolled sheets (up 52%0, rebar (up 47%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 41%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 35%0, hot rolled sheets (35%), mechanical tubing (31%), OCTG (15%), and cut length plate (up 13%).
In April 2014, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were from China (416,000 tons, up 108% vs. March final), South Korea (401,000 tons, up 16%0, Japan (210,000 tons, up 23%), Turkey (138,000 tons, down 19%), and Russia (106,000 tons, up 6%0. For the first four months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,567,000 tons, up 27%0, China (983,000 tons, up 76%), Japan (707,000 tons, up 8%), Turkey (607,000 tons, up 30%) and Russia (393,000 tons, up 295%).
