[Ferro-Alloys.com]Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis data, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported that steel import permit applications for the month of December totaled 2,358,000 net tons.

 

This was a 10% decrease from the 2,615,000 permit tons recorded in November and down 11% from the November preliminary imports total of 2,659,000 net tons. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in December was 1,629,000 net tons, down 18% from the preliminary imports total of 1,988,000 net tons in November. December 2012 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 33,310,000 net tons and 25,620,000 net tons, up 17% each, respectively, vs. the 28,515,000 net tons and 21,835,000 net tons imported in 2011. The estimated finished steel import market share in December was 22%, and it is 24% for full year 2012.