Steel Products Prices North America
U.S Steel Exports Show Decline in June
Written by Brett Linton
August 8, 2019
The U.S. exported 600,000 tons of steel in June, according to final Census data, a 5 percent slip from May, and down 34 percent from the same month one year ago.
June exports were in line with the 2018 average (~610,000 tons), but down significantly compared to the past few years. This time last year, exports were over 900,000 tons and were averaging 860,000+ tons in the spring and early summer months. It was July 2018 when exports dropped to sub-700,000-ton levels.
Total June exports are below both the three-month moving average (average of April, May and June), and below the 12-month moving average (average of July 2018 through June 2019). Here is a breakdown by product:
Cut plate exports rose 10 percent from May to 83,281 tons, but were down 9 percent compared to levels one year ago. This is the highest level seen since June 2018 when 91,598 tons of cut plate were exported.
Exports of coiled plate were 31,792 tons in June, down 2 percent month over month, and down 7 percent year over year.
Hot rolled steel exports fell 13 percent over May to 39,087 tons, down 39 percent from June 2017 levels. This is the second lowest export level in SMU’s ~10-year history, just above the September 2018 low of 35,480 tons.
Exports of cold rolled products were 38,500 tons in June, down 8 percent from May, and down 23 percent over the same month last year. This is the lowest cold rolled export figure SMU has seen, surpassing the previous low of 39,599 tons in December 2017.
Galvanized exports declined 2 percent month over month to 114,231 tons. Compared to one year ago, June levels declined 3 percent.
Exports of all other metallic coated products were 18,406 tons, down 6 percent from May, and down 30 percent compared to one year ago.
Below are two graphs showing the history of U.S. steel exports, in total and by product. To use their interactive features, view the graphs on our website by clicking here. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
Brett Linton
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