AISI Releases January SIMA Imports Data

Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 15 Percent in January

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 1,568,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 6.4% decrease from the 1,675,000 permit tons recorded in December and a 0.6% decrease from the December final imports total of 1,577,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in January was 1,216,000, up 4.8% from the final imports total of 1,160,000 in December. The estimated finished steel import market share in January was 15 percent.

Steel imports with large increases in January permits vs. the December final imports include sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 47%), reinforcing bars (up 44%), cold rolled sheets (up 43%), hot rolled sheets (up 28%) and standard pipe (up 22%).

In January, the largest steel import permit applications were for South Korea (241,000 NT, up 45% vs. December final), Canada (221,000 NT, down 5%), Mexico (220,000 NT, up 61%), Brazil (185,000 NT, down 28%) and Turkey (81,000 NT, up 17%).

*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’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers, steel pipe and tube manufacturers and steel processors and fabricators, reflecting the production and distribution of both carbon and stainless steels. These steels are critical to America’s national and economic security, including roads and bridges, buildings, the electrical grid, cars and trucks and all clean energy technologies. AISI also represents 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.