Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Wednesday that the US imported a total of 2.9 million net tons (nt) of steel in April, including 2.3 million nt of finished steel (down 2 percent and up 5 percent, respectively, from March final data). Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2012 would be 34.8 and 26.5 million nt, respectively, each up 22 percent versus 2011. Finished steel import market share in April and year-to-date were 24 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
Key finished steel products with significant import increases in April 2012 compared to March are plates in coils (up 138 percent); hot rolled sheets (up 59 percent); wire rods (up 56 percent); sheet and strip all other metallic coated (up 50 percent) and sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 47 percent). Major products with significant year-to-date import increases vs. the same period last year include plates in coils (up 67 percent), reinforcing bars (up 63 percent), plates--cut lengths (up 56 percent), line pipe (up 44 percent) and sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 43 percent).
In April, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (270,000 nt and down 1 percent); Turkey (169,000 nt and up 3 percent); Japan (143,000 nt and down 19 percent; China (142,000 nt and up 32 percent); and Germany (85,000 nt and down 27 percent). For the first four months of 2012, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,195,000 nt and up 26 percent); Turkey (682,000 nt and up 150 percent); and Japan (628,000 nt and up 30 percent).