AISI: U.S. Steel Import Permits Rose in April 2014
05/12/2014 - 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 April 2014 total 3,682,000 tons*.
This was a 4% increase from the 3,551,000 permit tons recorded in March and 14% increase from the March final imports total of 3,234,000 tons. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in April was 2,658,000, up 9% from the final imports total of 2,439,000 in March. For the first 4 months of 2014 (including April SIMA and March final), total and finished steel imports were 13,407,000 tons and 9,814,000 tons, respectively, up 29% and 19% from the same period in 2013. The estimated finished steel import market share in April was 28% and is 26% year-to-date (YTD).
Finished steel imports with large increases in April permits vs. the March final included standard rails (up 108%), wire rods (up 55%), standard pipe (up 52%), heavy structural shapes (up 41%), cold rolled sheets (up 34%), line pipe (up 29%) and hot rolled bars (up 19%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2013 include wire rods (up 105%), plates in coils (up 63%), cold rolled sheets (up 54%), reinforcing bars (up 40%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 36%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 35%), hot rolled sheets (32%), mechanical tubing (31%), oil country goods (up 16%) and cut lengths plates (up 12%).
In April, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (402,000 tons, up 16% from March final), China (398,000 tons up 99%), Japan (195,000 tons, up 14%), Turkey (121,000 tons, down 29%) and Russia (103,000 tons, up 3%). Through the first four months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,568,000 tons, up 27% from the same period in 2013), China (965,000 tons, up 73%) and Japan (692,000, up 5%).
* 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 April permits vs. the March final included standard rails (up 108%), wire rods (up 55%), standard pipe (up 52%), heavy structural shapes (up 41%), cold rolled sheets (up 34%), line pipe (up 29%) and hot rolled bars (up 19%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2013 include wire rods (up 105%), plates in coils (up 63%), cold rolled sheets (up 54%), reinforcing bars (up 40%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 36%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 35%), hot rolled sheets (32%), mechanical tubing (31%), oil country goods (up 16%) and cut lengths plates (up 12%).
In April, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (402,000 tons, up 16% from March final), China (398,000 tons up 99%), Japan (195,000 tons, up 14%), Turkey (121,000 tons, down 29%) and Russia (103,000 tons, up 3%). Through the first four months of 2014, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,568,000 tons, up 27% from the same period in 2013), China (965,000 tons, up 73%) and Japan (692,000, up 5%).
* 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.
