Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that the U.S. imported a total of 3,237,000 net tons (NT) of steel in September 2021, including 2,469,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (up 16.7% and 17.1%, respectively, vs. August final data). Through the first nine months of 2021, total and finished steel imports are 23,806,000 and 16,684,000 net tons (NT), both up 34.9%, vs. the same period in 2020. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2021 would be 31.7 and 22.2 million NT, up 44.2% and 37.8%, respectively, vs. 2020. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 25% in September and is estimated at 21% over the first nine months of 2021.
Key finished steel products with a significant increase in imports in September compared to August are line pipe (up 111%), oil country goods (up 104%), reinforcing bars (up 70%), cut lengths plates (up 44%), wire rods (up 33%), tin plate (up 27%), plates in coils (up 22%), standard pipe (up 18%), cold rolled sheets (up 17%) and hot rolled sheets (up 16%). Products with a significant year-to-date (YTD) increase vs. the same period in 2020 were hot rolled sheets (up 106%), plates in coils (up 81%), wire rods (up 56%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 53%), cut lengths plates (up 52%), oil country goods (up 37%), heavy structural shapes (up 29%), cold rolled sheets (up 28%), hot rolled bars (up 26%), wire drawn (up 24%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 20%), tin plate (up 17%) and reinforcing bars (up 13%).