Steel imports increase 29 percent

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the United States imported a total of 1,560,000 net tons (NT) of steel in October 2009, including 1,177,000 NT of finished steel (up 29 percent and 15 percent, respectively, vs. September final data). This was the highest monthly total import figure since February. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 18 percent in October and is an estimated 22 percent year-to-date (YTD) through ten months.

Key finished steel products with increases in October 2009 compared to September include reinforcing bars (105 percent), wire rods (55 percent), hot rolled bars (42 percent) line pipe (35 percent) and oil country goods (29 percent).

In October, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (102,000 NT, up 59 percent), Japan (91,000 NT, up 76 percent), Turkey (69,000 NT, up 509 percent), The Netherlands (63,000 NT, up 170 percent) and India (52,000 NT, up 32 percent).