AISI Releases April SIMA Imports Data

Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 17 Percent in April

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 April totaled 1,945,000 net tons (NT)*. This was an 8.1% increase from the 1,799,000 permit tons recorded in March and a 10.0% increase from the March final imports total of 1,769,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in April was 1,417,000, up 8.5% from the final imports total of 1,306,000 in March. For the first four months of 2026 (including April SIMA permits and March final imports), total and finished steel imports were 7,044,000 NT and 5,157,000 NT, down 28.8% and 30.0%, respectively, from the same period in 2025. The estimated finished steel import market share in April was 17% and is 15% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in April permits vs. March final imports include tin plate (up 103%), sheet and strip all other metallic coatings (up 60%), cold rolled sheets (up 42%), hot rolled bars (up 33%) and reinforcing bars (up 30%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2025 include heavy structural shapes (up 30%).

In April, the largest steel import permit applications were for South Korea (342,000 NT, up 17% from March final imports), Mexico (294,000 NT, up 109%), Canada (246,000 NT, down 14%), Brazil (166,000 NT, down 43%) and Vietnam (138,000 NT, down 22%). Through the first four months of 2026, the largest suppliers were South Korea (1,225,000 NT, up 28%), Canada (975,000 NT, down 53%) and Brazil (881,000 NT, down 50%).
*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.

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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.