Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that steel import permit applications for the month of January totaled 2,483,000 net tons (NT)*.  This was a 9.8% increase from the 2,262,000 permit tons recorded in December and a 12.7% increase from the December final imports total of 2,203,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in January was 1,952,000, up 4.8% from the final imports total of 1,863,000 in December.  The estimated finished steel import market share in January was 23%.

 

Steel imports with large increases in January permits vs. the December final imports include heavy structural shapes (up 102%), cut lengths plates (up 69%), tin free steel (up 63%), ingots and billets and slabs (up 56%) and reinforcing bars (up 51%).

 

In January, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (591,000 NT, up 13% vs. December final), Mexico (458,000 NT, up 10%), Brazil (309,000 NT, up 535%), Japan (108,000 NT, down 9%) and South Korea (104,000 NT, down 55%). AISI