Finished Steel Imports Up 11% In 2022

January 26, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that the U.S. imported a total of 2,186,000 net tons (NT) of steel in December 2022, including 1,848,000 NT of finished steel (up 8.6% and 4.8%, respectively, vs. November 2022). Full year 2022 total and finished steel imports were 30,832,000 and 25,249,000 NT, down 2.0% and up 10.9%, respectively, vs. 2021. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 23% in December and is estimated at 24% for full year 2022.

Key steel products with a significant import increase in December compared to November are line pipe (up 73%), ingots and billets and slabs (up 36%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 30%), oil country goods (up 27%) and sheet and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 26%). Products with a significant increase in imports for the full year of 2022 vs. 2021 include line pipe (up 47%), oil country goods (up 44%), standard pipe (up 44%), heavy structural shapes (up 36%) and wire rods (up 30%).

In December, the largest suppliers were Canada (522,000 NT, down 1% vs. November), Mexico (415,000 NT, up 66%), South Korea (232,000 NT, up 66%), Japan (119,000 NT, up 14%) and Germany (77,000 NT, down 36%). For full year 2022, the largest suppliers were Canada (6,860,000 NT, down 2% vs. 2021), Mexico (5,302,000 NT, up 11%), South Korea (2,817,000 NT, up 3%), Brazil (2,568,000 NT, down 41%) and Japan (1,261,000 NT, up 16%). Below are charts on steel imports by country and estimated finished steel import market share in recent months.

Click here for the full statistical report. 

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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’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, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.