USA, AISI: Steel Import Permits Down 3% in August

USA, AISI: Steel Import Permits Down 3% in August; August Import Market Share at 21%; YTD Imports at 22%.

Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that steel import permit applications for the month of August totaled 2,446,000 net tons (NT). This was a 3% decrease from the 2,520,000 permit tons recorded in July and a 5% decrease from the July preliminary imports total of 2,584,000 NT. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in August was 1,841,000 NT, down 11% from the preliminary imports total of 2,060,000 NT in July. Year-to date (YTD) 2011 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 29,514,000 NT and 22,489,000 NT, up 23% and 19%, respectively, vs. the 23,929,000 NT and 18,857,000 NT imported in 2010. The estimated finished steel import market share in August was 21% and is 22% year-to-date. In August, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for Korea (212,000 NT, down 29% from July), China (122,000 NT, down 21%), Japan (97,000 NT, down 30%), Germany (72,000 NT, down 16%) and India (68,000 NT, up 30%). Finished steel import permits for major products that registered increases in August vs. the July preliminary include reinforcing bars (up 79%), cold finished bars (up 21%), cut length plates (up 17%) and oil country goods (up 10%).

For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s Web site at www.steel.org.