Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has reported that the US imported a total of 2,155,000 net tons (nt) of steel in August, including 1,668,000 nt of finished steel (down 11 percent and eight percent, respectively, from the July data). Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2010 would be 24.4 million nt and 19.0 million nt, respectively, up 51 percent and 34 percent compared to 2009. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 21 percent in August, versus a year-high 24 percent in July and a low of 15 percent in August 2009. For the year-to-date, the finished steel import market share is 21 percent. In the first eight months of 2010, total and finished steel imports were up 54 percent and 30 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
Key finished steel products with significant import increases in August 2010 compared to July include heavy structural shapes (up 32 percent), reinforcing bars (up 25 percent) and hot rolled bars (up 22 percent). Many finished steel products have registered significant year-to-date import increases in 2010 versus the same period last year, including wire rods (up 147 percent), hot rolled sheets (up 52 percent) and hot dip galvanized sheets and strips (up 44 percent).