The American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) announced Wednesday that steel exports fell 8.8 percent in December 2010 compared to November. December exports were 927.8 thousand net tons (nt) compared to 1,017 thousand nt in November 2010.
Exports of steel have risen 29.3 percent for the full year 2010 from 9,282 million nt exported in 2009 to 12,004 million nt in 2010, with increases registered in all markets except Africa and Asia due to a significant decline in exports to China.
"The rebound in steel exports in 2010 was gratifying after the recession, as demand improved especially in the NAFTA region and resulted in exports increasing to within 11 percent of record levels in 2008 after declining over 31 percent in 2009," commented AIIS President Dave Phelps.