AISI Releases October SIMA Imports Data

Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 18 Percent in October

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 October totaled 2,214,000 net tons (NT)*. This was an 11% decrease from the 2,492,000 permit tons recorded in September and an 8% decrease from the September final imports total of 2,416,000 NT. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in October was 1,719,000, up 3% from the final imports total of 1,663,000 in September. For the first 10 months of 2026 (including October SIMA permits and September final imports), total and finished steel imports were 20,706,000 NT and 14,755,000 NT, down 6% and 10%, respectively, from the same period in 2025. The estimated finished steel import market share in October was 18% and is 17% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in October permits vs. September final imports include all other rails (up 390%), steel piling (up 176%), standard pipe (up 61%), pipe for piling (up 60%), tin plate (up 42%), ingots and steel for castings (up 41%), and cut length plates (up 34%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2025 include ingots and steel for castings (up 159%), pipe for piling (up 156%), standard rails (up 86%), and heavy structural shapes (up 86%).

In October, the largest steel import permit applications were for South Korea (405,000 NT, down 22% from September final imports), Brazil (235,000 NT, down 33%), Canada (218,000 NT, down 15%), Vietnam (213,000 NT, up 119%), and Mexico (159,000 NT, down 40%). Through the first 10 months of 2026, the largest suppliers were South Korea (3,900,000 NT, up 68% from the same period in 2025), Brazil (2,694,000 NT, down 26%), Canada (2,622,000 NT, down 35%) and Mexico (1,988,000 NT, down 21%).

*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: Kim Stewart

202.452.7126 / kstewart@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, X (@AISISteel) or Instagram.