AISI Releases August SIMA Imports Data

Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 18 Percent in August

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 August totaled 2,499,000 net tons (NT)*. This was an 8.9% increase from the 2,294,000 permit tons recorded in July and a 10.1% increase from the July final imports total of 2,268,000 NT. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in August was 1,694,000, up 8.8% from the final imports total of 1,564,000 in July. For the first eight months of 2026 (including August SIMA permits and July final imports), total and finished steel imports were 16,060,000 NT and 11,430,000 NT, down 14.3% and 17.8%, respectively, from the same period in 2025. The estimated finished steel import market share in August was 18% and is 16% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in August permits vs. July final imports include all other rails (up 78%), plates in coils (up 74%), cut length plates (up 72%), hot rolled sheets (up 67%), black plate (up 43%), cold rolled sheets (up 33%) and galvanized and electrolytic sheets and strip (up 28%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2025 include heavy structural shapes (up 69%), standard rails (up 49%), structural pipe and tubing (up 26%) and electrical sheets and strip (up 44%).

In August, the largest steel import permit applications were for South Korea (418,000 NT, down 25% from July final imports), Brazil (368,000 NT, up 45%), Mexico (203,000 NT, up 5.5%), Canada (284,000 NT, up 1%), and Vietnam (134,000 NT, down 13.6%). Through the first eight months of 2026, the largest suppliers were South Korea (2,968,000 NT, up 52%), Canada (2,136,000 NT, down 37%) and Brazil (2,126,000 NT, down 33%).

*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.