According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US monthly steel imports in December 2020 increased 8.9 percent from November to total 1,356,736 mt. A year-on-year comparison shows a 6.2 percent decrease. In terms of value, US steel imports in December totaled $1.29 billion, compared to $1.13 billion in November and $1.43 billion in December 2019.
Top sources for US steel imports in December include: Canada, with 426,747 mt; Mexico, with 233,252 mt; Korea, with 201,332 mt; Netherlands, with 77,944 mt; and Germany, with 65,587 mt.
By product group, semi-finished imports totaled 128,798 mt in December, up from 122,418 mt in November and down from 199,684 mt in December 2019. Flat product imports totaled 663,626 mt in December, up from 572,905 mt in November and 655,955 mt in December 2019. Long product imports totaled 258,936 mt in December, down from 297,465 mt in November and up from 234,266 mt in December 2019. Pipe and tube imports totaled 252,343 mt in December, up from 161,327 mt in November and down from 290,673 mt in December 2019.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the US steel import market share in December 2020 was estimated at 18 percent, compared to 17 percent in November, and 18 percent year-to-date.