According to the Mineral Industry Survey released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), stocks of imported and domestic scrap in the US at the end of January this year amounted to 3.8 million mt, up slightly from the end of December 2012. Stocks of pig iron at the end of January increased by six percent from the end of December 2012, amounting to 411,000 mt.
Exports of iron and steel scrap from the US in the month of January amounted to 1.5 million mt, down five percent compared to December last year. Turkey was the leading country of destination, with 483,000 mt, accounting for 32 percent of total export tonnages, followed by Taiwan with 264,000 mt and South Korea with 179,000 mt.
US imports of iron and steel scrap in January amounted to 329,000 mt in January, increasing 10 percent compared to the December 2012 level. Canada was the leading country of origin accounting for 74 percent of the total tonnage of imports, exporting 243,000 mt of iron and steel scrap to the US in the given month.