According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in April 2023 decreased 9.4 percent from March to total 2,150,544 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 13.3 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in April totaled $3.23 billion, compared to $3.18 billion in March and $3.68 billion in April 2022.
Top sources for US steel imports in April include: Canada, with 538,979 mt; Mexico, with 313,176 mt; Brazil, with 193,588 mt; South Korea, with 152,598 mt; and Japan, with 117,696 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 382,878 mt in April, down from 626,613 mt in March and 406,213 mt in April 2022. Flat product imports totaled 675,773 mt in April, down from 798,624 mt in March and 1,003,179 mt in April 2022. Long product imports totaled 461,195 mt in April, up from 324,969 mt in March but down from 508,952 mt in April 2022. Pipe and tube imports totaled 543,092 mt in April, down from 546,875 mt in March but up from 440,306 mt in April 2022.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in April 2023 was estimated at 23 percent, compared to 22 percent in March and 23 percent year-to-date.