Prices
April 27, 2021
Census: Finished Steel Imports Jumped 23% in March
Written by Brett Linton
Final Census data shows that finished steel imports rose 23% in March to 1.78 million tons, as more U.S. buyers sought relief from climbing domestic prices and limited supplies. This is the highest finished-steel import level seen since August 2019 when finished imports were 1.80 million tons.
Total steel imports were 2.29 million tons in March, up 21% month-over-month. Total April import licenses are currently at 2.13 million tons as of Census data through April 26, down 7% from March, but up 12% from February. 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.
