AISI Releases January SIMA Imports Data

February 4, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that steel import permit applications for the month of January totaled 2,126,000 net tons (NT)*.  This was a 0.1% decrease from the 2,128,000 permit tons recorded in December and a 42.4% increase from the December preliminary imports total of 1,494,000.  Import permit tonnage for finished steel in January was 1,202,000, down 10.3% from the preliminary imports total of 1,340,000 in December.  The estimated finished steel import market share in January was 16%.

Finished steel imports with large increases in January permits vs. the December preliminary imports include heavy structural shapes (up 105%), reinforcing bars (up 82%), light shapes bars (up 23%) and structural pipe and tubing (up 15%).

In January, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (125,000 NT, down 48%), Turkey (75,000 NT, up 451%), Japan (52,000 NT, down 11%), Brazil (40,000 NT, down 18%) and Taiwan (30,000 NT, down 23%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel mill products and are not actual import volumes. For a number of reasons, permit tonnages may understate or overstate actual import volumes for the month, preliminary estimates of which will be available later this month.

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Contact: Lisa Harrison
202.452.7115 / lharrison@steel.org

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook or Twitter (@AISISteel).