[Ferro-Alloys.com]Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 2,850,000 net tons (NT) of steel in May 2024, including 2,231,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (up 1.7% and 6.6%, respectively, vs. April 2024). Total and finished steel imports are up 8.0% and 5.5%, respectively, year-to-date vs. 2023. Over the 12-month period June 2023 to May 2024, total and finished steel imports are unchanged and down 5.4%, respectively, vs. the prior 12-month period. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 25% in May and is estimated at 23% over the first five months of 2024.

Key steel products with a significant import increase in May compared to April are line pipe (up 73%), oil country goods (up 53%), sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 17%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 17%), and standard pipe (up 15%). Products with a significant increase in imports over the 12-month period June 2023 to May 2024 compared to the previous 12-month period include sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 24%), ingots, billets and slabs (up 23%), cut lengths plates (up 23%) and sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 11%).

In May, the largest suppliers were Canada (574,000 NT, down 2% vs. April), Brazil (453,000 NT, up 18%), South Korea (369,000 NT, up 77%), Mexico (310,000 NT, down 27%) and Vietnam (148,000 NT, up 2%). Over the 12-month period June 2023 to May 2024, the largest suppliers were Canada (6,795,000 NT, down 2% compared to the previous twelve months), Brazil (4,489,000 NT, up 56%), Mexico (4,018,000 NT, down 16%), South Korea (3,006,000 NT, up 17%) and Japan (1,168,000 NT, down 10%).

• [Editor:kangmingfei]