Steel Products Prices North America

2016 Apparent Steel Supply Down 4.2 Percent Over 2015
Written by Brett Linton
February 10, 2017
According to the latest data released from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute, apparent steel supply for the month of December 2016 was 8,622,171 net tons. Apparent steel supply is calculated by adding domestic steel shipments and finished US steel imports, then subtracting total US steel exports.
December apparent steel supply represents a 743,511 ton or 9.4 percent increase compared to the same month one year ago when apparent steel supply was 7,878,660 tons. The majority of this change came from an increase in domestic shipments, which were up 9.4 percent or 616,903 tons. Finished imports also increased month over month, by 6.2 percent or 127,736 tons. Total exports rose 0.2 percent or 1,128 tons, slightly negating the rise in apparent steel supply.
The net trade balance between US steel imports and exports was a surplus of +1,971,403 tons imported in December 2016, 21.9 percent higher than that of December 2015. Foreign steel imports accounted for 25.2 percent of apparent steel supply, down 0.8 percent over the same month one year ago.
When compared to last month, when apparent steel supply was 8,144,758 tons, December supply increased by 5.9 percent or 477,413 tons. This is attributed to a 6.7 percent or 448,968 ton rise in domestic shipments. Finished imports increased 1.2 percent or 25,901 tons, and total exports declined 0.3 percent or 2,544 tons over last month.
The table below shows annual totals for each statistic over the last five years. 2016 figures remain lower than most of the previous years for all items listed. Comparing 2015 and 2016 apparent steel supply, this year was down 4.2 percent or 381,938 tons over last. Domestic shipments were nearly flat, only 11,110 tons lower than the previous year. Finished imports in 2016 were down 16.2 percent or 425,882 tons over 2015 totals, and total exports were down 6.6 percent or 55,053 tons.
To see an interactive graphic of our Apparent Steel Supply history, visit the Apparent Steel Supply page in the Analysis section of the SMU website. If you need any assistance logging in or navigating the website, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

Nucor slows HRC price climb with $5/ton increase
After eight weeks of double-digit price increases on hot-rolled (HR) coil, Nucor slowed the price rise this week with an increase of $5 per short ton.

Domestic CRC prices surge ahead of imports
The price spread between stateside-produced CR and imports reached its widest margin in over a year.

Evraz raises plate prices $160/ton
Evraz North America (NA) has followed Nucor and SSAB with a plate price increase of its own: up $160 per short ton (st). The increase was effective immediately for all new orders of carbon, high-strength low-alloy, and normalized and quenched-and-tempered plate products, as well as for hot-rolled coil, the steelmaker said in a letter to […]

Nucor lifts HR coil to $820/ton
Nucor has increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil for a fourth consecutive week.

Nucor pushes HR spot price to $790/ton
Nucor increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $790 per short ton (st) on Monday, Feb. 10 – a $15/st bump vs. last week. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company has raised its weekly CSP by $40/st over the past three weeks after maintaining tags at $750/st since Nov. 12, according to SMU’s […]