According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in February 2022 decreased 23.1 percent from January to total 2,124,957 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 23.2 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in February totaled $3.09 billion, compared to $3.82 billion in January and $1.63 billion in February 2021.
Top sources for US steel imports in February include: Canada, with 426,473 mt; Mexico, with 405,011 mt; Brazil, with 239,644 mt; Korea, with 197,231 mt; and Algeria, with 94,946 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 446,605 mt in February, down from 680,280 mt in January but up from 407,973 mt in February 2021. Flat product imports totaled 800,482 mt in February, down from 1,185,979 mt in January but up from 733,615 mt in February 2021. Long product imports totaled 439,333 mt in February, down from 443,868 mt in January but up from 303,759 mt in February 2021. Pipe and tube imports totaled 340,269 mt in February, down from 356,038 mt in January but up from 224,191 mt in February 2021.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in February 2022 was estimated at 22 percent, compared to 24 percent in January and 23 percent year-to-date.