According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in August 2021 decreased 10.1 percent from July to total 2,511,697 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 113.7 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in August totaled $3.04 billion, compared to $3.15 billion in July and $1.08 billion in August 2020.
Top sources for US steel imports in August include: Canada, with 694,795 mt; Mexico, with 382,736 mt; Brazil, with 301,282 mt; Korea, with 148,164 mt; and Germany, with 140,008 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 535,782 mt in August, down from 822,902 mt in July but up from 98,218 mt in August 2020. Flat product imports totaled 1,147,843 mt in August, up from 1,074,685 mt in July and 569,569 mt in August 2020. Long product imports totaled 378,591 mt in August, down from 407,508 mt in July but up from 259,083 mt in August 2020. Pipe and tube imports totaled 308,097 mt in August, down from 338,740 mt in July but up from 204,554 mt in August 2020.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in August 2021 was estimated at 21 percent, compared to 21 percent in July and 20 percent year-to-date.