AISI Releases November SIMA Imports Data

Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 20 Percent in November

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 November totaled 1,983,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 10.2% decrease from the 2,208,000 permit tons recorded in October and a 9.8% decrease from the October final imports total of 2,197,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in November was 1,592,000, down 14.0% from the final imports total of 1,852,000 in October. For the first eleven months of 2023 (including November SIMA permits and October final imports), total and finished steel imports were 26,026,000 NT and 20,172,000 NT, down 9.1% and 13.8%, respectively, from the same period in 2022. The estimated finished steel import market share in November was 20% and is 22% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in November permits vs. October final imports include sheet and strip all other metallic coatings (up 51%), non-classified pipe and tubing (up 49%), electrical sheet and strip (up 46%), ingots, billets and slabs (up 14%) and hot rolled bars (up 10%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2022 include standard rails (up 46%), cut lengths plates (up 19%) and ingots, billets and slabs (up 12%).

In November, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (519,000 NT, down 7% from October final), Brazil (319,000 NT, up 207%), Mexico (195,000 NT, down 37%), South Korea (183,000 NT, up 10%) and Japan (97,000 NT, down 28%). Through the first eleven months of 2023, the largest suppliers were Canada (6,331,000 NT, unchanged), Mexico (3,840,000 NT, down 21%) and Brazil (3,546,000 NT, up 40%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel 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.

-#####-

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)