Finished Import Market Share YTD at 25% in February
time2017/03/28
Finished Import Market Share YTD at 25% in February
Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
reported today that the U.S. imported a total of 2,685,000 net tons (NT) of steel in February 2017, including
2,043,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (down 4.6% and 12.3%, respectively, vs. January final data). Year-todate
(YTD) through two months of 2017, total and finished steel imports are 5,499,000 and 4,373,000 net tons
(NT), up 11.7% and 1.1%, respectively, vs. the same period in 2016. Annualized total and finished steel imports
in 2017 would be 33.0 and 26.2 million NT, down 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, vs. 2016. Finished steel import
market share was an estimated 25% in February and is estimated at 25% YTD.
Key finished steel products with significant import increases in February compared to January include line
pipe (up 51%), wire rods (up 27%) and tin plate (up 17%). Major products with significant YTD import
increases vs. the same period last year include oil country goods (up 87%), sheets and strip all other metallic
coatings (up 60%), cold rolled sheets (up 40%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 27%), reinforcing
bars (up 21%), standard pipe (up 19%) and tin plate (up 17%).
In February, the largest volumes of finished steel imports from offshore were from South Korea (260,000 NT,
down 17% from January final), Turkey (196,000 NT, down 36%), Taiwan (103,000 NT, down 7%), Japan (100,000
NT, down 32%) and Vietnam (71,000 NT, down 35%). For the first two months of 2017, the largest offshore
suppliers were South Korea (572,000 NT, down 8% vs. the same period in 2016), Turkey (503,000 NT, up 11%),
Japan (245,000 NT, down 19%), Taiwan (214,000 NT, up 107%) and Vietnam (179,000 NT, up 29%). Below are
charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by
country