AISI Indicates Modest Surge in Steel Import Permits

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) published most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, which signals modest surge in steel import permit applications in the month of May 2021.

Based on Commerce Department data, the permit applications totalled 2.621 million net tons in May this year. This is modestly up by approximately 3.8% when matched with 2.525 million net tons permit tons recorded during the prior month. When compared with the final imports in April 2021 of 2.638 million net tons, the May 2021 steel import permit tonnage was marginally down by 0.7%, AISI data said.

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AISI Forecasts Notable Surge in Finished Steel Imports 

In May this year, the import permit tonnage for finished steel totalled 1.823 million net tons, up by 9.9% from the final imports total of 1.658 million net tons in April this year.

Tin plates reported largest increase in May permits over the prior month, surging higher by 210%. The import permits for tin free steel and light shapes bars were up by 75% and 45% respectively.

In May 2021, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea. The largest offshore suppliers through the first five months of the current year were South Korea, Japan and Germany.

The total and finished steel imports during the first five months of the year totalled 11.888 million net tons and 7.944 million net tons respectively. The product to witness highest year-to-date increase over the corresponding period in 2020 was hot rolled strip, which stood higher by 58%.