AISI: Steel Imports Surged in January 2023

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The total steel imports stood at 2.607 million net tons during the month of January this year, as per the most recent statistics published by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is substantially higher by 18.3% when compared with the imports during the prior month. The finished steel imports too registered modest increase by 7.3% month-on-month to total 2.0 million net tons.

When compared with the imports during the same month a year before, the total and finished steel imports registered decline by 5.2% and 5.0% respectively.

The finished steel product that reported highest surge in import volumes was heavy structural shapes, whose imports during January this year recorded nearly 99% surge over the prior month. The imports of cut lengths plates too were up by 83%. The imports of ingots and billets and slabs were up by 79%, whereas those of sheets and strip and all other metallic coatings edged higher by 55%.

Over the 12-month period from February 2022 to January 2023, the total and finished steel imports were down by 5.2% and up by 5.0% respectively. The finished steel import market share was estimated at 24% in the opening month of the year.

The largest suppliers during the month were Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea and Japan. Over, the 12-month period too, the above countries featured among the top five suppliers, AISI noted.