Steel Products Prices North America
Foreign Steel Imports Trend Lower in May
Written by Brett Linton
May 21, 2019
U.S. steel imports are trending a bit lower in May after a significant jump in April, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of Commerce Department license data. With about 10 days left in the month, it appears May imports will approach 2.7 million tons, down from approximately 2.9 million tons in April. May imports are on track to fall in line with the quarterly and yearly averages.
Imports of semi-finished products by domestic mills, which saw a big jump in April, are returning to more typical levels of around 700,000 tons this month.
SMU’s projection of import license data does not take into consideration the Trump administration’s decision last week to remove the Section 232 tariffs on steel from Canada and Mexico, or the halving of the tariffs on steel from Turkey, which will affect import volumes to an unknown degree in the coming weeks and months.
Below are two graphs covering steel imports through final March 2019 figures. You will need to view the graphs on our website to use their interactive features; you can do so by clicking here. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
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 […]