Steel import permits increase

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the United States imported a total of 1,971,000 net tons (NT) of steel in March, including

1,568,000 NT of finished steel (up 25 percent and 28 percent, respectively, vs. February final data). This was the highest monthly total since January 2009. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 19 percent in March.

Key finished steel products with significant import increases in March 2010 compared to February include plate in coils (up 67 percent), oil country goods (up 61 percent), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 53 percent), cut-length plates (up 51 percent) and hot rolled bars (up 40 percent).

In March, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from Japan (137,000 NT, up 19 percent), South Korea (109,000 NT, up 11 percent), Germany (83,000 NT, up 207 percent), China (58,000 NT, up 27 percent) and Australia (57,000 NT, up 18 percent).