Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that steel import permit applications for the month of September totaled 2,257,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 9.2% decrease from the 2,485,000 permit tons recorded in August and a 10.1% decrease from the August final imports total of 2,510,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in September was 1,864,000, down 10.5% from the final imports total of 2,083,000 in August. For the first nine months of 2022 (including September SIMA permits and August final imports), total and finished steel imports were 24,234,000 NT and 19,673,000 NT, up 4.5% and 22.5%, respectively, from the same period in 2021. The estimated finished steel import market share in September was 22% and is 24% year-to-date (YTD).

 

Steel imports with large increases in September permits vs. August final imports include steel piling (up 206%), line pipe (up 55%), standard pipe (up 37%), structural pipe and tubing (up 30%) and oil country goods (up 22%). Products with significant year-to date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2021 include wire rods (up 59%), oil country goods (up 52%), standard pipe (up 51%), line pipe (up 44%) and cold rolled sheets (up 37%).

 

In September, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (526,000 NT, down 11% from August final), South Korea (290,000 NT, up 64%), Mexico (289,000 NT, down 40%), Brazil (211,000 NT, up 20%) and Taiwan (90,000 NT, up 9%). Through the first nine months of 2022, the largest suppliers were Canada (5,236,000 NT, down 1%), Mexico (4,188,000 NT, up 27%) and South Korea (2,228,000 NT, up 7%).