Steel Products Prices North America

April Final Imports = 3,350,983 Tons
Written by John Packard
June 5, 2017
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Commerce released Final Census Data on foreign steel imports for the month of April 2017. As expected, the month was another large one with imports totaling 3,350,983 net tons. This is above both the 3-month and 12-month moving averages.
License data for the month of May approached 3.6 million net tons.
One of the key factors in the higher import tonnages is the amount of foreign slab and billet being brought into the country by the domestic steel mills. There were 789,413 net tons of semi-finished products imported by the mills during the month of April. License data is suggesting that number could increase to over 900,000 net tons of slabs/billets during the month of May.
Other items that have to be of concern to the domestic steel industry are: OCTG (oil country tubular goods) which hit 349,905 net tons in April. Galvanized is another item topping 300,000 tons with 330,197 net tons in April and once again May appears to be close to topping the 300,000 ton level. Galvalume imports are also high with 107,316 net tons in April and May is on pace to come close to the 100,000 ton level.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

CRU: Q3 will be the lowest point in current sheet price cycle
CRU Principal Analyst Shankhadeep Mukherjee expects a restocking cycle for steel sheet products in most parts of the world due to either low inventories or seasonally stronger demand.

CRU: US rebar and wire rod prices rise alongside S232 increase
CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.

SMU Price Ranges: Sheet and plate steady ahead of Independence Day
Sheet and plate prices were little changed in the shortened week ahead of Independence Day, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.

Nucor maintains plate prices, opens August order book
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat again with the opening of its August order book.

Nucor CSP remains level at $900/ton
Nucor maintained its weekly list price for hot-rolled (HR) coil this week, following two consecutive increases.