According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in December 2017 decreased 11.4 percent from November (census data) to total 2,218,702 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 9.4 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in December totaled $2.14 billion, compared to $2.32 billion in November and $1.91 billion in December 2016.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the finished steel import market share was an estimated 22 percent in December.
Top sources for US steel imports in December include: Canada, with 448,072 mt; Brazil, with 321,762 mt; Mexico, with 220,595 mt; Korea, with 174,060 mt; and Russia, with 168,300 mt.
Major steel products imported in December include blooms, billets and slab at a combined 476,195 mt; HDG sheets and strip, at 188,855 mt; OCTG, at 187,173 mt; CRC, at 162,388 mt; HRC, at 138,647 mt; and line pipe, at 121,693 mt.