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    July 7, 2020

    Final May Steel Imports at 1.8 Million Tons, June Licenses at 2.0 Million

    Written by Brett Linton

    Recently released Census data shows final May steel imports totaled 1.80 million net tons, down 35.1 percent from April, but up 2.8 percent over March, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The final May figure is just 9,700 tons higher than the preliminary May import figures SMU reported in late June.

    Finished imports in May totaled 1.50 million tons, up 13.6 percent over the previous month, but down 1.3 percent over March. Imports of semifinished products (mostly slabs) were nearly 300,000 tons in May. This contrasts with April when semifinished imports were at 1.45 million tons as the quarterly quotas for those products had reset and is comparable to March semifinished imports at 227,000 tons and February at 151,000 tons.

    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.

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