According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in February 2021 decreased 22.0 percent from January to total 1,714,034 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 24.7 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in February totaled $1.62 billion, compared to $1.65 billion in January and $1.31 billion in February 2020.
Top sources for US steel imports in February include: Canada, with 468,161 mt; Mexico, with 228,925 mt; Brazil, with 217,049 mt; Korea, with 209,198 mt; and Turkey, with 69,621 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 407,973 mt in February, down from 1,051,215 mt in January but up from 137,539 mt in February 2020. Flat product imports totaled 731,960 mt in February, up from 544,826 mt in January and 631,939 mt in February 2020. Long product imports totaled 294,929 mt in February, down from 330,416 mt in January and 311,231 mt in February 2020. Pipe and tube imports totaled 224,005 mt in February, up from 211,272 mt in January but down from 236,678 mt in February 2020.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in February 2021 was estimated at 18 percent, compared to 15 percent in January and 17 percent year-to-date.