Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the U.S. imported a total of 3,120,000 net tons (NT) of steel in November 2021, including 2,583,000 net tons (NT) of finished steel (up 13.9% and 9.6%, respectively, vs. October final data). Through the first eleven months of 2021, total and finished steel imports are 29,681,000 and 21,626,000 net tons (NT), up 44.6% and 46.1%, respectively, vs. the same period in 2020. Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2021 would be 32.4 and 23.6 million NT, up 47.1% and 46.2%, respectively, vs. 2020. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 27% in November and is estimated at 22% over the first eleven months of 2021.

 

Key finished steel products with a significant increase in imports in November compared to October are heavy structural shapes (up 64%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 33%), cold rolled sheets (up 32%), hot rolled bars (up 29%), oil country goods (up 28%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 27%) and tin plate (up 10%). Products with a significant year-to-date (YTD) increase vs. the same period in 2020 were hot rolled sheets (up 137%), plates in coils (up 109%), sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 66%), oil country goods (up 62%), cut lengths plates (up 60%), wire rods (up 60%), cold rolled sheets (up 41%), heavy structural shapes (up 31%), hot rolled bars (up 30%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 29%), wire drawn (up 23%), reinforcing bars (up 23%), mechanical tubing (up 20%) and tin plate (up 13%).