Steel Products Prices North America
Final October Foreign Steel Imports at 3.1 Million Tons
Written by John Packard
December 7, 2017
Final October imports were reported to be 3,148,243 net tons, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data released earlier this week.
Total October imports were up 2.0 percent over September, and up 16.0 percent compared to levels one year ago.
The Commerce Department also released license data this week that now suggests foreign steel imports in November 2017 will reach 2.8 million net tons. This is about 200,000 tons greater than what the import license data was showing one week ago.
Finished steel imports (removing semi-finished imports, mostly slabs and some billets being sold to domestic producers) are coming in around 2.3 million net tons.
SMU is seeing reductions in imports of the products we follow with the one exception being coiled plate.
Based on the license data for November, imports are 300,000 tons lower than the prior month. When compared to November 2016, imports are essentially unchanged.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.
SMU Price Ranges: Some predict bottom is near as big discounts dry up
Sheet prices were mixed this week as some mills continued to offer significant discounts to larger buyers while others have shifted toward being more disciplined, market participants said.
SMU Price Ranges: Tags mixed as uncertainty weighs on market
SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price held steady this week while prices for other sheet and plate products declined.
Nucor spot HR list price unchanged at $875/ton
Nucor kept its weekly list price for hot-rolled (HR) coil unchanged this week, following a price bump of $10 per short ton (st) last week.
SMU price ranges: Flat-rolled balloon continues to leak
Sheet and plate prices were flat or lower again this week on continued concerns about demand and higher production rates among US mills.