According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in April 2021 increased 14.1 percent from March to total 2,391,729 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 5.2 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in April totaled $2.39 billion, compared to $2.05 billion in March and $1.83 billion in April 2020.
Top sources for US steel imports in April include: Brazil, with 594,191 mt; Canada, with 534,660 mt; Mexico, with 371,192 mt; Korea, with 238,979 mt; and Japan, with 80,002 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 866,926 mt in April, up from 463,461 mt in March but down from 1,316,403 mt in April 2020. Flat product imports totaled 783,778 mt in April, down from 875,376 mt in March but up from 577,608 mt in April 2020. Long product imports totaled 370,465 mt in April, down from 393,831 mt in March but up from 324,479 mt in April 2020. Pipe and tube imports totaled 291,821 mt in April, down from 304,049 mt in March but up from 240,873 mt in April 2020.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in April 2021 was estimated at 18 percent, compared to 19 percent in March and 18 percent year-to-date.