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U.S. Preliminary Imports Rise 2% From October to November

01/02/2013 - Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,659,000 tons of steel in November, including 1,988,000 tons of finished steel (up 2% and down 6%, respectively, from October final data).

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,659,000 tons of steel in November, including 1,988,000 tons of finished steel (up 2% and down 6%, respectively, from October final data). Year-to-date (YTD) finished steel imports are up 18% vs. the same period in 2011. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2012 would be 33.8 and 26.2 million tons, up 18% and 20%, each, respectively vs. 2011.  Finished steel import market share in November was an estimated 24% and is estimated at 24% YTD.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in November 2012 compared to October are reinforcing bars (up 60%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 43%), cold rolled sheets (up 28%) and plates in coils (up 20%). Major products with significant YTD import increases vs. the same period last year include reinforcing bar (up 57%), line pipe (up 40%), sheets & strip galvanized hot dipped (up 38%), oil country goods (up 27%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 24%) and cut lengths plates (up 22%).
In November, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were all from Asia and Europe. They were South Korea (286,000 tons, down 25%), China (145,000 tons, up 10%), Japan (143,000 tons, down 21%), Turkey (108,000 tons, up 54%) and Germany (101,000 tons, down 17%). For the first 11 months of 2012, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (3,478,000 tons, up 32%), Japan (1,844,000 tons, up 37%), China (1,469,000 tons, up 28%), Turkey (1,294,000 tons, up 99%) and Germany (1,153,000 tons, up 33%).