Steel Products Prices North America

Steel Imports Up in October on Bump in Semifinished

Written by Brett Linton

October 31, 2019

U.S. steel imports likely totaled around 2.4 million tons in October, near the 12-month average, based on the latest import license data from the Department of Commerce. Imports of semifinished steel approached a million tons as the mills moved to secure slabs in the first month of the fourth quarter. Slab imports, notably from Brazil, are subject to quarterly quota limits.

Preliminary Census data released for September showed total steel imports of about 1.9 million tons. Both finished and semifinished imports were down substantially in September compared with both the three-month and 12-month moving averages.

Comparing September preliminary data with October license estimates, it appears galvanized was the only product category to see a significant increase in imports in the past month.

 

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior 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.

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