First half imports up 33 percent,
may set all-time record
Washington, DC— Based on preliminary Census
Bureau data for June, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
reported that the United States imported a total of 3,372,000 net
tons (NT) of steel in June 2006, including 2,888,000 NT of finished
steel (down 14.4 and 9.2 percent, respectively, vs. May’s
final data). First half, year-to-date (YTD), imports in these categories
remain up 33 and 32 percent, respectively, compared to YTD imports
for the same period in 2005.
Looking at a 3-month rolling average, finished steel imports overall
are up 10 percent, with notable increases in plates in coil (up
78 percent), tin plate (up 39 percent), mechanical tubing (up 31
percent), line pipe (up 30 percent), cold rolled sheets (up 22 percent),
cold finished bars (up 22 percent), cut-length plates (up 20 percent),
sheets & strip all other metallic coated (up 16 percent), hot
rolled sheets (up 15 percent) and hot rolled bars (up 15 percent).
The rising trend remains pronounced for countries
with a history of unfair trading, especially in Asia — including
India (up 56 percent), Taiwan (up 32 percent) and China (up 12 percent),
where imports (on an annualized basis) are on a pace to exceed 4
million tons. On an annualized basis (based on YTD 2006 imports),
total and finished steel imports (at 44.6 and 35.2 million NT, respectively)
would set all-time records.
Key products with large increases in June compared
to the month before include tin plate (up 53 percent), wire rods
(up 50 percent), cold rolled sheets (up 16 percent), sheets &
strip all other metallic coated (up 16 percent) and cold finished
bars (up 14 percent). Finished steel products with sizable YTD increases
compared to 2005 include reinforcing bars (up 95 percent), heavy
structural shapes (up 79 percent), cold rolled sheets (up 72 percent),
hot rolled sheets (up 56 percent), galvanized hot dipped sheets
& strip (up 40 percent), cut-length plates (up 41 percent),
plates in coil (up 37 percent), bars- light shapes (up 36 percent)
and numerous pipe and tube categories — including line pipe,
oil country goods and standard pipe (up 30, 25 and 24 percent, respectively).
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