April Steel Imports Rise to Nine-Month High

Total finished steel imports were 1.68 million tons in April, down 7% from March’s 19-month high. Finished steel import licenses for May are currently at 1.80 million tons, a bounce back from April’s dip, and could potentially be the highest level since July 2019. 

Due to large month-to-month swings in semifinished imports, the chart below shows total monthly imports on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis in an attempt to more accurately display the U.S. steel import trend. The 3MMA through preliminary April import data is 2.28 million tons, up from 2.21 million tons in March and up from 1.94 million tons in January. The lowest 3MMA level in our recent history was October 2020 at 1.36 million tons. The April 3MMA is now the highest seen since September 2019.

The table below now includes other high-volume products in addition to our normal focus on flat rolled products; we now show a brief history on products such as rebar, tin plate, wire rod, structural pipe and tube, and other long products. We also provide data on categorized imports, divided into semifinished, finished, flat rolled, longs, pipe and tube, and stainless products.

The two charts below show monthly imports grouped by product category: flat rolled imports and pipe and tube imports. Both product groups declined in April, with flat rolled imports down 10% from the month prior and pipe and tube imports down 4%. Looking through May data, each product group has rebounded a bit; current license data suggests a 10% rise in flat rolled imports and a 2% increase in pipe and tube imports over April.

By Brett Linton, Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com