According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in August 2018 decreased 0.7 percent from July (census data) to total 2,690,546 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 12.1 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in August totaled $2.55 billion, compared to $2.57 billion in July and $2.54 billion in August 2017.
Top sources for US steel imports in August include: Brazil, with 561,101 mt; Canada, with 462,544 mt; Mexico, with 285,858 mt; Russia, with 204,961 mt; and Korea, with 153,639 mt.
Major steel products imported in August include blooms, billets and slab at a combined 861,977 mt; HDG sheets and strip, at 223,809 mt; OCTG, at 191,196 mt; HRC, at 179,645 mt; line pipe, at 157,142 mt; and rebar, at 131,542 mt.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in August is estimated at 21 percent, compared to 23 percent in July. The year-to-date import market share is estimated at 24 percent in August, compared to 25 percent in July.