Year-to-date steel imports climb
to 14.8 million tons
Washington, DC— Based on preliminary
Census Bureau data for April, the American Iron and Steel Institute
(AISI) reported that the United States imported a total of 3,573,000
net tons (NT) of steel in April 2006, including 2,959,500 NT of
finished steel. Year-to-date (YTD) imports in these categories climbed
29 and 27 percent, respectively, compared to YTD imports for the
same period in 2005. April 2006 finished imports jumped 22 percent
compared to April 2005.
Looking at a three-month rolling average (the
most recent three month period compared to the previous three month
period), the trend shows that finished steel imports overall are
up 31 percent, with notable increases in black plate (up 177 percent),
galvanized electrolytic sheets and strip (up 104 percent), reinforcing
bars (up 97 percent), structural shapes (up 80 percent), cold- rolled
sheets (up 69 percent), tin plate (up 29 percent) and hot-rolled
sheets (up 28 percent).
Key products with large increases in April compared
to the month before include black plate (up 110 percent), tin plate
(up 49 percent), bars – light shapes (up 33 percent), bars
– cold finished (up 32 percent), plates in coils (up 31 percent)
and pressure tubing (up 26 percent). Products with sizable YTD increases
compared to 2005 include reinforcing bars (up 139 percent), heavy
structural shapes (up 92 percent), bars – light shapes (up
51 percent), cold-rolled sheets (up 45 percent), plates cut to length
(up 39 percent), oil country goods (up 36 percent), galvanized hot
dipped sheets & strip (up 30 percent) and hot-rolled sheets
(up 28 percent).
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