According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in March 2021 increased 20.6 percent from February to total 2,080,930 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 30.4 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in March totaled $2.03 billion, compared to $1.63 billion in February and $1.54 billion in March 2020.
Top sources for US steel imports in March include: Canada, with 583,914 mt; Mexico, with 313,744 mt; Korea, with 216,757 mt; Brazil, with 155,838 mt; and Russia, with 128,138 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 463,260 mt in March, up from 407,973 mt in February and 206,635 mt in March 2020. Flat product imports totaled 875,123 mt in March, up from 733,615 mt in February and 636,008 mt in March 2020. Long product imports totaled 393,756 mt in March, up from 303,759 mt in February and 292,212 mt in March 2020. Pipe and tube imports totaled 289,502 mt in March, up from 224,191 mt in February but down from 395,225 mt in March 2020.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in March 2021 was estimated at 19 percent, compared to 18 percent in February and 18 percent year-to-date.