[Ferro-Alloys.com] Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported yesterday that steel import permit applications for the month of August totaled 1,394,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 30.5% decrease from the 2,006,000 permit tons recorded in July and a 48.4% decrease from the July final imports total of 2,703,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in August was 1,231,000, down 10.8% from the final imports total of 1,380,000 in July. For the first eight months of 2020 (including August SIMA permits and July final imports), total and finished steel imports were 16,494,000 NT and 11,253,000 NT, down 20.3% and 26.6%, respectively, from the same period in 2019. The estimated finished steel import market share in August was 18% and is 19% year-to-date (YTD).

 

Finished steel imports with large increases in August permits vs. the July final imports included sheets and strip electrolytic galvanized (up 139%), steel piling (up 64%), line pipe (up 33%) and cut lengths plates (up 37%). Products with significant year-to date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2019 include tin free steel (up 30%) and light shapes bars (up 14%).

 

In August, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (167,000 NT, up 5% from July final), Japan (71,000 NT, up 41%), Germany (49,000 NT, up 5%), Taiwan (45,000 NT, up 20%) and China (31,000 NT, down 52%). Through the first eight months of 2020, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (1,148,000 NT, down 24% from the same period last year), Japan (555,000 NT, down 41%) and Germany (472,000 NT, down 39%).

 

Source: AISI