Steel Products Prices North America
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/media/k2/items/src/fc3db653429209c0acb36805d3a3fa0e.jpg)
Foreign Steel Imports: January Up 17%, February Down 18%
Written by Brett Linton
February 27, 2018
Preliminary steel import data was updated Tuesday afternoon showing 2.88 million net tons of imports for the month of January, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is down from last week’s estimate of 3.08 million tons, but up 17.3 percent over December 2017 data. Preliminary data has been averaging 30,000 to 40,000 tons less than the final census data, so we anticipate the final January figure will be slightly over 2.9 million tons.
Steel Market Update sees February license data trending toward 2.36 million net tons, down from our previous analysis of 2.50 million tons last week and down 17.8 percent over January data. Semi-finished imports were previously trending around the same levels seen in January, but are now down to 409,000 tons, 22.1 percent less than January. Finished imports (total imports minus semi-finished products) are trending toward 1.95 million tons for February, down from our analysis last week and down 16.9 percent from January.
Every import product in the table below for February is down compared to January levels. Oil country tubular goods (OCTG) is trending down 36.1 percent, hot rolled down 30.5 percent, plate in coils down 30.3 percent, cold rolled down 12.4 percent, galvanized down 7.5 percent, other metallic coated down 25.9 percent, and plate cut lengths down 22.5 percent. We will see how this changes as the DOC collects more import licenses throughout the month and into March.
The table below uses final import data for the moving averages (through December 2017 data). January license data will be finalized next week. February data is derived from import licenses collected through the 27th, converted to a daily average rate, and assuming that rate will continue for the balance of the month.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SMU_BL_headshot-V4-150x150.png)
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Longs pricing trends diverge in North, South America
Most longs prices in the US were unchanged this month, except for rebar, which declined by $1.50/cwt ($30/short ton) m/m. While end-use demand is stable, inventories are well-stocked, keeping purchases limited. Domestic availability is sufficient to meet current demand, hindering the appetite for imported material. Meanwhile, prices for scrap remained under pressure in June, with […]
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/Nucor.png)
Nucor cuts plate prices by $125/ton, cites ongoing competition
Nucor Corp. announced that its plate mill group would cut prices for as-rolled, discrete, and normalized plate with the opening of its August order book.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/Nucor.png)
Nucor cuts HR price for fourth straight week
Nucor lowered its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil by another $10 per short ton (st) for the first week of July. The steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Monday that its CSP base price for the week will be $670/st for all of its sheet mills with the exception of California Steel Industries (CSI).
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/Cliffs_logo2.2.png)
Cliffs sets $720/ton HR price with opening of August books
Cleveland-Cliffs on Tuesday announced its monthly hot-rolled (HR) coil price of $720 per short ton (st) with the official opening of its August order book. The rate is down from last month’s price of $800/st.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Demand weakness continues to weigh on global sheet markets
Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]