Cold Rolled, Coated Imports Continue to Surge

Despite the major flat rolled trade cases concluded in 2016, flat rolled steel imports continue to surge. Coated imports are at their highest levels ever and cold rolled imports are near record levels. This article, by Paul Lowrey of Steel Research Associates, provides some historical context to the current situation.

This analysis includes all products in coil form (hot rolled, cold rolled, all coated, and tin mill products), but excludes stainless grades. Some adjustments to the reported data are necessary. First, some of the hot rolled imports are feedstock to Western mills that convert it to cold rolled, coated and tin mill products. These imports have been excluded from “market” or “trade” imports on the same basis that imported semi-finished products are excluded from apparent supply.  Second, in calculating the percentage of total supply, AISI reported domestic shipments were adjusted for non-reporters.