According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in December 2019 increased 0.5 percent from November to total 1,409,279 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 17.9 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in December totaled $1.40 billion, compared to $1.39 billion in November and $1.84 billion in December 2018.
Top sources for US steel imports in December include: Canada, with 458,042 mt; Mexico, with 282,144 mt; Korea, with 152,356 mt; Germany, with 80,254 mt; and Japan, with 61,153 mt.
Major steel products imported in December include blooms, billets and slab, at 178,309 mt; HRC, at 148,648 mt; hot dipped galvanized sheets and strip, at 142,977 mt; CRC, at 116,088 mt; OCTG, at 101,515 mt; and plates in coils, at 85,991 mt.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in December 2019 was estimated at 15 percent, compared to 15 percent in November, and 19 percent year-to-date.