The imports that have been throttling the domestic steel industry declined slightly in April, but still well exceed the record market share.
Import permit applications for April totaled 3.2 million net tons, a 12 percent decrease from March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis data.
Market share was 31 percent in April, down from 34 percent the previous month, the American Iron and Steel Institute estimated. The flood of imports has been credited with idling mills and causing layoffs in the steel industry nationwide, including at Gary Works and the now-idled East Chicago Tin.
Imports seized a record market share of 28 percent last year. But so far this year, the market share is much higher — an eye-popping 33 percent. The biggest importers have been South Korea, Turkey and China.
For the first four months, total steel imports rose to 15 million net tons, up 12 percent from the same period in 2014, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Finished imports, which would not necessarily support processing jobs at American service centers the way unfinished imports would, rose 26 percent over 2014 to 12.4 million tons.
Import permit tonnage for finished steel products fell 13 percent to 3.1 percent in March. Large increases included tool steel, which was up 72 percent, and standard pipe, which increased 44 percent.
Line pipe, heavy structural shapes and standard pipe all have risen more than 50 percent for the year.
source: NW Times
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