SMU Data and Models

SMU Report Identifies HR Imports by Product Detail
Written by Tim Triplett
May 14, 2018
Premium subscribers to Steel Market Update receive reports on imports with macro data broken down by product on the national level. SMU also provides reports that detail the import tonnage received by district of entry and source nation. This new report from SMU takes the analysis even further.
Using U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) data, SMU takes the import tonnage and breaks it down into sheet and strip, and whether it was in coil or leveled. Then it separates three thickness ranges, it identifies how much was P&O, how much was high strength and how much had patterns in relief.
Table 1 is a monthly summary and year-to-date 2018 that shows each of these conditions (click to enlarge).
Figure 1 breaks the year-to-date tonnage down into commercial HR sheet, pickled and oiled, high strength and sheet with embossed patterns.
Figure 2 breaks the year-to-date tonnage down into three gauge ranges—light, medium and heavy.
Figure 3 breaks hot rolled sheet imports into coiled and leveled tonnage
Figure 4 breaks hot rolled strip imports into coiled and leveled tonnage
Table 2 is a small part of a sheet that shows detail for every region in the U.S. and is available as an Excel sheet here. It shows the product detail of hot rolled sheet and strip imports by district of entry. For example, the largest tonnage item entering Buffalo in the first three months of 2018 was medium-gauge leveled sheet. To cite another example, if a steel buyer wanted to know how much light gauge, high strength, pickled and oiled coiled sheet had come into Boston year to date, the answer is 4,672 metric tons, which was the highest volume item into that district.;
In June, we will present the same analysis for cold rolled sheet and strip through April.
Note: This data was accessed through the USITC database. All steel traded globally is classified by the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS). The HTS code has 10 digits. The first six are globally universal. The last four are used at the discretion of the nations involved in a particular transaction and are the basis of this report. The way the U.S. uses the last four digits to define products may be different from other nations’ product classification.

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in SMU Data and Models

SMU market survey results now available
The latest SMU market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Historical survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, […]

SMU survey: Buyers Sentiment Indices slip
SMU’s Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices both fell during the week of Dec. 6, based on our most recent survey data.

SMU survey: Mills more willing to talk price on sheet, less on plate
The percentage of steel buyers saying mills were willing to budge on spot pricing has risen for all sheet products SMU surveys, according to our most recent survey data.

SMU survey: Direction of mill lead times mixed on holiday season lull
Movements in lead times were mixed in SMU’s check of the market this week – a reflection of the seasonal dip in ordering that is typically seen during the winter holiday season.

SMU price ranges: Sheet surge continues on limited spot availability
Sheet prices shot higher again this week on the heels of another round of mill price increases as well as on reports of production and supply chain issues at certain domestic producers.