US Steel Imports Permits in September Reduce MoM
The American Iron and Steel Institute has reported that steel import permit applications for the month of September totaled 2.257 million net tons. This was a 9.2% decrease from the 2.485 permit million net tons recorded in August and a 10.1% decrease from the August final imports total of 2,510,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in September was 1.864 million net tons, down 10.5% from the final imports total of 2.083 million net tons in August. The estimated finished steel import market share in September was 22%
Steel imports with large increases in September permits vs. August final imports include steel piling (up 206%), line pipe (up 55%), standard pipe (up 37%), structural pipe and tubing (up 30%) and oil country goods (up 22%). In September, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (526,000 net tons, down 11% from August final), South Korea (290,000 net tons, up 64%), Mexico (289,000 net tons, down 40%), Brazil (211,000 net tons, up 20%) and Taiwan (90,000 net tons, up 9%).
For the first nine months of 2022 (including September SIMA permits and August final imports), total and finished steel imports were 24.234 million net tons and 19.673 million net tons, up 4.5% and 22.5%, respectively, from the same period in 2021. The estimated finished steel import market share is 24% year-to-date
Products with significant year-to date increases vs. the same period in 2021 include wire rods (up 59%), oil country goods (up 52%), standard pipe (up 51%), line pipe (up 44%) and cold rolled sheets (up 37%). Through the first nine months of 2022, the largest suppliers were Canada (5.236 million net tons, down 1%), Mexico (4.188 million net tons, up 27%) and South Korea (2.228 million net tons, up 7%).