• Skip to main content

    Prices

    U.S Steel Exports Inch Up in July

    Written by Brett Linton


    The U.S. exported 620,598 tons of flat rolled steel in July, according to final Census data, a 4 percent rise from June, but down 5 percent from the same month one year ago.

    July exports were in line with the 2019 average of 611,019 tons, but down significantly compared to recent years. It was this time last year when exports dropped from their 850,000+ ton levels down to sub-700,000 levels (see purple chart below).

    Brett Linton

    Read more from Brett Linton

    Latest in Prices

    Plate supply squeeze tightens as demand presses higher

    The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.