According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in July 2019 increased 48.5 percent from June to total 2,746,654 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 1.3 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in July totaled $2.39 billion, compared to $1.81 billion in June and $2.57 billion in July 2018.
Top sources for US steel imports in July include: Brazil, with 910,975 mt; Canada, with 432,208 mt; Mexico, with 302,696 mt; Korea, with 162,941 mt; and Japan, with 79,750 mt.
Major steel products imported in July include blooms, billets and slab, at 1,063,314 mt; hot dipped galvanized sheets and strip, at 190,960 mt; OCTG, at 182,817 mt; line pipe, at 145,026 mt; HRC, at 143,214 mt; and CRC, at 101,451 mt.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in July 2019 was estimated at 19 percent, compared to 20 percent in June, and 21 percent year-to-date.