Based on the US Department of Commerce’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Wednesday that steel import permit applications by the United States during the month of November totaled 1,386,000 net tons, which represents an 11 percent decrease from both the 1,561,000 permit tons recorded in October 2009 and the October preliminary import total of 1,560,000 nt.
Import permit tonnage for finished steel in November was 957,000 nt, a decrease of 19 percent from the October preliminary import total of 1,177,000 nt. November 2009 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 16,089,000 nt and 14,102,000 nt, down 50 percent and 46 percent, respectively, from the 31,927,000 nt and 25,956,000 nt imported in 2009.
Finished steel import market share in November is estimated by AISI to be 15 percent, while AISI estimates YTD import market share at 21 percent.