AISI Releases October SIMA Imports Data

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 1,643,000 net tons (NT)*. This represents virtually no change from the 1,642,000 permit tons recorded in September and a 30.8% increase from the September final imports total of 1,256,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in October was 1,219,000, up 4.4% from the final imports total of 1,167,000 in September. For the first ten months of 2020 (including October SIMA permits and September final imports), total and finished steel imports were 19,290,000 NT and 13,587,000 NT, down 22.2% and 26.0%, respectively, from the same period in 2019. The estimated finished steel import market share in October was 17% and is 18% year-to-date (YTD).

Finished steel imports with large increases in October permits vs. the September final imports include oil country goods (up 126%), wire rods (up 59%), reinforcing bars (up 47%), cold rolled sheets (up 45%), heavy structural shapes (up 42%), cut lengths plates (up 37%), hot rolled bars (up 25%) and wire drawn (up 15%). Products with significant year-to date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2019 include tin free steel (up 24%) and light shapes bars (up 19%).

In October, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (139,000 NT, up 12% from September final), Japan (77,000 NT, up 31%), Germany (62,000 NT, up 21%), Turkey (42,000 NT, up 544%) and China (24,000 NT, up 22%). Through the first ten months of 2020, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,658,000 NT, down 25% from the same period last year), Japan (663,000 NT, down 39%) and Germany (587,000 NT, down 36%).

*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.

####

Contact: Lisa Harrison
202.452.7115 / lharrison@www.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).