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October 6, 2020
Final August Imports Slide Near 2009 Low
Written by Brett Linton
Final Census data shows August steel imports were almost identical to the preliminary data reported last week; imports totaled 1.30 million net tons, down 52 percent over the month prior due to the quarterly reset on semifinished import quotas. August imports are at the lowest levels seen in 11 years, with the previous low occuring in September 2009 at 1.21 million tons. For the record, the lowest monthly import level in the past two decades occured in June 2009 at 862,000 tons.
Total finished imports in August were at 1.19 million tons, down 17 percent from July. Imports of semifinished products (mostly slabs) were 108,000 tons, down from 1.27 million tons the month prior.
