According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in October 2018 increased 44.3 percent from September (census data) to total 2,961,292 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 3.7 percent increase. In terms of value, US steel imports in October totaled $2.67 billion, compared to $2.05 billion in September and $2.56 billion in October 2017.
Top sources for US steel imports in October include: Brazil, with 849,767 mt; Canada, with 409,299 mt; Mexico, with 330,045 mt; Korea, with 166,275 mt; and Russia, with 159,416 mt.
Major steel products imported in October include blooms, billets and slab at a combined 1,146,386 mt; HDG sheets and strip, at 235,763 mt; HRC, at 232,117 mt; line pipe, at 176,658 mt; OCTG, at 156,924 mt; and CRC, at 143,030 mt.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in October is estimated at 20 percent, compared to 20 percent in September. The year-to-date import market share is estimated at 21 percent in October, compared to 24 percent in September.