According to a report this week from the US Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center, US raw steel production in 2020 totaled an estimated 72 million metric tons, down 18 percent from the 87.8 million mt produced in 2019.
BOF steel production accounted tor 30 percent of total steel production in 2020, while EAF production accounted for 70 percent, a ratio that is unchanged from 2019. Pig iron production in 2020 totaled 18 million mt, down 19.3 percent from the 22.3 million mt produced in 2019.
Steel mill shipments in 2020 totaled 71 million mt, down 18.7 percent from the 87.3 million mt shipped in 2019. Construction accounted for an estimated 46 percent of total domestic shipments by market classification, followed by transportation (predominantly automotive), 26 percent; machinery and equipment, 8 percent; energy, 6 percent; appliances, 5 percent; and other applications, 9 percent.
Apparent consumption of steel in the US in 2020 totaled 82 million mt, down 18 percent from the 100 million mt consumed in 2019. Year-end stocks at service centers totaled 6 million mt, down from 7.4 million mt at the end of 2019.
Imports of steel in the US totaled 20.1 million mt in 2020, down 20.6 percent from the 25.3 million mt imported in 2019. Exports of steel totaled 5.7 million mt, down 14.9 percent from the 6.7 million mt exported in 2019.