Steel Products Prices North America

November Data Shows a 45% Jump in Steel Imports Year to Date

January 3, 2022

Total steel imports into the United States jumped by nearly 45% in the first 11 months of 2021, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute, based on preliminary Census data through November.

Imports for the year to date totaled 29.7 million net tons of steel, up 44.6% versus the same period in 2020, including 21.6 million tons of finished steel, a 46.1% increase from the prior year.

AISI Imports’ share of the U.S. finished steel market reached an estimated 22% in the January-November period.

Steel imports in the month of November totaled 3.1 million net tons, including 2.6 million tons of finished steel. That’s an increase of 13.9% versus final data for October, including both finished and semifinished steel products, including slabs and billets.

Products that saw significant increases in imports for the year to date included hot rolled sheet (up 137%), plate in coils (up 109%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 66%), oil country goods (up 62%), cut lengths plates (up 60%), wire rods (up 60%), cold rolled sheets (up 41%), heavy structural shapes (up 31%), hot rolled bars (up 30%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 29%), wire drawn (up 23%), reinforcing bars (up 23%), mechanical tubing (up 20%) and tin plate (up 13%).

For the first 11 months of 2021, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Germany and Taiwan.

By Tim Triplett, Tim@SteelMarketUpdate.com