On Monday, the American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) said that according to government data, steel exports declined by 7.2 percent from May to June. Steel exports still increased 6.9 percent year-on-year in June and were 13.6 percent higher for the year-to-date period compared to 2011. David Phelps, president, AIIS, commented, "Softening demand for steel in many of our trading partners' economies in the second quarter have pushed exports in June down. One bright spot is the resilience so far in the NAFTA markets, which continued to be strong during the month and represent a more current view of NAFTA market demand compared to offshore markets, which reflect demand earlier in the second quarter. While total steel exports are still on track at the half-year mark to post another record year in 2012, slowing economic conditions in the EU, along with Asia and some Western Hemispheric markets give reason for concerns about export order-taking for non-NAFTA markets."
Total Steel exports in June 2012 were 1.17 million tons compared to 1.3 million tons in May 2012, a 7.2 percent decrease, and a 6.9 percent increase compared to June 2011. Year-to-date exports in June were 6.4 million tons in 2011 compared to 7.3 million tons in 2012.