According to US steel export data, monthly exports increased 1.9 percent from November to total 725,720 net tons in December. Exports to Mexico grew 10.2 percent from the preceding month to 293,098 net tons, but this was 12.5 percent less than in December 2014. Exports to Canada fell 4.2 percent to 348,755 net tons, 25.8 percent less than a year earlier. Exports to the European Union were up 1.6 percent from November at 17,583 net tons. This was down 27.4 percent from the previous December.
Major products exported in December include HDG, at 99,529 net tons; cut-length plates, at 82,750 net tons; hot rolled sheets, at 67,855 net tons; cold rolled sheets, at 53,594 net tons; and hot rolled bars, at 39,849 net tons.
For the full-year 2015, exports fell by 17.2 percent to an annual total of 9.97 million net tons. Exports sent to Canada fell by 23.3 percent to 4.9 million net tons, whereas exports to Mexico fell 8.1 percent, to 3.83 million net tons in 2015. Exports to the European Union dropped 2 percent to 327,911 net tons.
In an analysis of the export market, the American Institute for International Steel said: “2016 may be a better year for exports, with moderate economic growth forecast for Canada and a stronger expansion expected in Mexico. Even if demand increases, though, the exchange rate is making American steel much more expensive abroad than it was even a year ago. This probably will not change until the global economy strengthens, and investors do not feel as much of a need to flock to the safety of the U.S. dollar. Exports, then, will probably not return to the 1 million net tons or more level last seen in 2014 for some time.”