According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in October 2021 decreased 16.8 percent from September to total 2,457,438 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 79.1 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in October totaled $3.19 billion, compared to $3.51 billion in September and $1.19 billion in October 2020.
Top sources for US steel imports in October include: Canada, with 687,483 mt; Mexico, with 450,941 mt; Korea, with 184,005 mt; Brazil, with 160,586 mt; and Turkey, with 135,203 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 340,454 mt in October, down from 628,578 mt in September but up from 217,524 mt in October 2020. Flat product imports totaled 1,257,945 mt in October, down from 1,259,758 mt in September but up from 593,114 mt in October 2020. Long product imports totaled 441,011 mt in October, down from 456,925 mt in September but up from 315,095 mt in October 2020. Pipe and tube imports totaled 335,639 mt in October, down from 459,496 mt in September but up from 185,929 mt in October 2020.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in October 2021 was estimated at 24 percent, compared to 25 percent in September and 21 percent year-to-date.