U.S. Finished Steel Imports Move Up in February and March

Final Census data shows that finished steel imports rose 15% in February to 1.45 million tons, as more U.S. buyers sought relief from climbing domestic prices and limited supply. This is the highest finished-steel import level seen since May 2020.

Total steel imports were 1.90 million tons in February, down 22% month-over-month, due to January’s bump in semifinished imports as buyers attempted to maximize quarterly quota limits in the first month of the quarter. Total March import licenses are currently at 2.72 million tons as of data through April 7, up 43% from February and up 12% from January. For comparison, the average monthly import level for 2020 was 1.84 million tons, down from 2.32 million tons in 2019 and 2.81 million tons in 2018.

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.