The United States imported a total of 2,365,000 net tons of steel in November, according to the latest report by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The total reflects a 16% decrease compared to the previous month, October 2005. The report, which is based on preliminary Census Bureau data, also shows that total imports included 1,894,000 net tons of finished steel, an 8% decrease compared to the previous month (October 2005).

Individual products that showed increases in November included

• Reinforcing bars, +66%
• Heavy structural shapes, +49%
• Tinplate, +25%
• Cold rolled sheet, +16%
• Hot dipped galvanized sheet & strip, +15%
• Structural pipe & tubing, +15%

Year-to-date (YTD) total and finished imports, while down 11% for total imports and 12% for finished steel compared to YTD 2004, remain 10% and 13%, respectively, above pre-1998 import surge levels. Key products with large YTD increases include

• Oil country goods, +50%
• Cold finished bars, +42%
• Galvanized electrolytic sheet & strip, +42%
• Tinplate, +27%
• Cut-to-length plate, +23%
• Mechanical tubing, +18%

Finished imports from Turkey were up substantially in November (+164%) compared to October. YTD finished imports from China were up significantly (+34%) compared to YTD 2004.

U.S. spot prices for hot- and cold-rolled sheet remained the same in November as for the previous month, according to data publicly reported by Purchasing Magazine. Price declines for these products over the period from November 2004 to November 2005, however, were 24% and 19%, respectively.

"Imports have remained at high levels in 2005, particularly in certain product categories, and we have seen significant increases from countries such as China," said John P. Surma, President and CEO of United States Steel Corp. and Chairman of AISI. "As evidence of increasing state-supported capacity abroad becomes more and more visible, it is imperative that policy makers take seriously the need to deter government intervention and subsidies in the steel sector, and respond vigorously to injurious, unfairly- traded imports that result from such non-market behavior. We intend to work closely with our government officials to ensure that strong fair trade disciplines are fully preserved internationally and aggressively enforced at home."