U.S. Apparent Steel Supply Slips in May

May apparent steel supply was calculated at 9,387,605 net tons, according to data recently released by the American Iron and Steel Institute and U.S. Department of Commerce. Apparent steel supply, a proxy for demand, is determined by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting total U.S. steel exports.

May apparent steel supply saw a 266,595 ton or 2.8 percent decrease compared to the same month one year ago. This change was primarily due to a decrease in finished imports of 580,065 tons or 23.6 percent. A decrease in exports of 227,566 tons or 26.5 percent and a rise in domestic shipments of 85,904 tons or 1.1 percent lessened the overall year-over-year decrease in apparent steel supply.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.